been outlined chronologically in the following four sections appear- 

 ing under the respective area headings. 



ST. LAWRENCE AREA 



Owing to the relatively high temperatures in the St. Lawrence 

 and Newfoundland areas during the autumn of 1943 and early 

 winter of 1943-1944 the Gulf of St. Lawrence remained open much 

 later than usual. Little ice was reported before early February 

 whereas normally the entire gulf is considered unsafe for naviga- 

 tion after the first week of December. Using Sydney Harbor as an 

 index ice began to form in the bays and sheltered waters of Nova 

 Scotia and Cape Breton Island about 12 January. Heavy ice was 

 reported in Northumberland Strait on the 28th. Scattered patches 

 of light ice only were present in Cabot Strait prior to the end of 

 January. About that time, a vessel made the passage from Corner- 

 brook, Newfoundland, to Sydney, and St. George Bay was still 

 open and easily accessible. 



February, the coldest month of the winter in this area saw the 

 amount of ice increase rapidly. By 4 February, Belle Isle Strait 

 was covered with heavy ice and a belt of solid ice 30 miles wide 

 extended westward along the south shore of Quebec to the vicinity 

 of Anticosti Island. The center of the gulf was open, but heavy 

 floes were sighted in the vicinity of Cape Ray. Ice began to move 

 out of the gulf through Cabot Strait and southward along the east 

 coast of Cape Breton Island. This movement continued through- 

 out the month, the outflowing ice becoming heavier and pushing 

 farther to the south over the banks. The extreme limits of this 

 ice together with ice formed locally on the banks during cold 

 weather was reached on the 23rd of the month and was about as 

 shown in figure 12. The maximum limits of sea ice shown in the 

 figures denotes the limits to which some sea ice including slob and 

 lighter ice (slush) extended at anytime during the month, but ice 

 seldom if ever extended to these maximum limits over the entire 

 area at the same time. In February, however, the maximum exten- 

 sion over most of the area downstream from the gulf was approxi- 

 mated on the 23rd. On this date ice reached positions of 44°26' N., 

 58°23' W., and 45°25' N., 57°00' W. A 30-mile-wide belt of locally 

 formed ice extended along the south coast of Nova Scotia from 

 Cape Canso west past the 63rd meridian. The center of this field 

 off the east coast of Cape Breton Island was heavy pack sufficient 

 to stop ice-protected vessels. Cakes up to 18 inches in thickness, 

 where not rafted, extended to the vicinity of 45°30' N., 58°40' W. 

 Outside this heavier core pans of clear young ice to 1 foot thick 

 were encountered. 



In March the maximum southern extension of sea ice on the 

 banks off Cape Breton Island and Nova Scotia was about the 



740743—47—4 



45 



