between the latitudes of Cape St. Francis and Cape Freels. Onlj 

 a few tiny patches remained south of 48°30' N. An area of scatterec 

 strings and patches of sludge ice reached eastward to approximateb 

 49°40' W., between 48°30' N., and 48°50' N., but the total portior 

 of the surface covered by this ice was less than one-tenth. Wintei 

 and sludge ice was packed along the coast on the western side oJ 

 Bonavista Bay and a tongue reached southeastward past Cape 

 Freels to a point about 25 miles north-northeast of Cape Bona- 

 vista. On the 26th the area from Cape Spear eastward to the eastern 

 edge of the Grand Banks and along the eastern slope of the Banks 

 south past 44°30' N,, was covered by ice patrol aircraft. No ice was 

 observed or detected by radar during this flight except for a small 

 berg and a growler, both of which were in Conception Bay. Very 

 poor visibility was experienced in the southern extreme of the 

 search along the eastern slope of the Banks, but fair visual condi- 

 tions were encountered otherwise. The southernmost of the scat- 

 tered patches observed on the 25th should have been well within 

 the limits of observation on the 26th, and hence are believed to 

 have disintegrated by then. Thus by the end of February little or 

 no ice remained in the Grand Banks area south of the 48th parallel. 

 This abnormally rapid deterioration and recession of the ice in this 

 area and the unusually light ice conditions observed during March 

 are considered to be due in large part to the extraordinarily high, 

 percentage of warm winds from the easterly quadrants. 



Observations and reports of conditions in the St. Lawrence area 

 were much less complete, but such information as is available for 

 February and early March indicates a trend and effect on the ice 

 field off the northeast coast of Cape Breton Island similar to that 

 noticed in the Grand Banks area. The first available information 

 was that obtained by aerial reconnaissance on the 4th of February. 

 At that time the field emerging through Cabot Strait extended 

 from Cape North to within 5 miles of the Newfoundland coast at 

 Cape Ray and spread eastward past Burgeo Bank and southeast- 

 ward almost to 44°50' N., between longitudes 58°50' W., and 59°12' 

 W. Routes to Louisburg were free of ice and navigation apparently 

 was possible to Sydney by rounding the southern edge of the field 

 since a shore lead 10 to 15 miles wide was present along the east 

 coast as far as Cape North. No further information was obtained 

 until the 21st of February when the area was again observed by 

 aerial reconnaissance. The eastern limits of the field had then 

 receded 40 to 50 miles westward from those limits observed on the 

 4th, but the ice was now tightly packed along the beach northwest 

 of Scatari Island and a tongue of slob ice diminishing to slush 

 reached southwestward past Cape Breton to Guion Island, blocking 

 the direct approaches to Louisburg. The inner and southern portion 

 of this tongue, however, was so light as to be no serious hazard 



8 



