29 



reasons the data are of little use from a climatological point of view 

 but are interesting as a picture of the type and variations in weather 

 that may be expected in this region. The weather conditions experi- 

 enced by the Patrol vessel are discussed below by months, in general, 

 and figures 13 to 33 give the observed weather data in detail. 



FEBRUARY 



The Patrol vessel was in the Grand Banks area only from February 

 12 to 27. Scouting during this cruise was materially curtailed by 

 extreme winter storm conditions. While in the Ice Patrol area the 

 wind held gale force, force 7 and over, more than half the days and 

 gales were recorded 32.4 percent of the hours. Two storms of great 

 intensity brought these boisterous conditions. The first from Feb- 

 ruary 16 to 18 had its origin on February 13 over the Plains States 

 along the cold front of a very strong high pressure area covering the 

 entire northwestern part of the continent. This disturbance moved 

 eastward, leaving the coast over Boston and then east-northeastward 

 passing just south of the Grand Banks and centered on the morning 

 of the 16th 400 miles east of Newfoundland with a pressure of just 

 below 29.30 inches. The succeeding weather maps showed this storm 

 deepening rapidly and retrograding slowly to the south and west until 

 on the evening of the 18th it was centered over the Tail of the Banks 

 with a pressure below 28.90 inches. Northwest and north gales blew 

 for 44 hours over the Grand Banks area in the wake of this cyclone, 

 which moved off during the next day to the southeast with decreasing 

 intensity. The second disturbance followed soon after and began as 

 wave disturbance over the Ohio Valley, which moved eastward leaving 

 the coast at Atlantic City without going to occlusion or increasing 

 much in intensity. Wlien just north of Bermuda, however, it began 

 to occlude with rapidly decreasing pressure and moved northeast to 

 a position 600 miles east-southeast of Cape Race, where it remained 

 almost stationary during the 22nd and 23rd with pressure as low as 

 28.90 inches. This storm covered a tremendous area stretching from 

 Sable Island to the coast of Spain with gales lashing the entire North 

 Atlantic basin and brought northerly gales and blizzard conditions 

 over the Ice Patrol area for 46 hours. Whole gales, force 10, were 

 recorded during both these disturbances. The percentage of low 

 visibility, less than 2 miles, was 27.9 percent, which is greater than 

 might be expected under such conditions, but was mostly due to snow. 

 The average temperature for the cruise was 33.9° F. (See figs. 13 

 and 14.) 



MARCH 



Although weather conditions were on the whole milder than during 

 the first cruise extreme wintry conditions persisted until March 17, 

 when evidences of a marked change began to show themselves. The 



