Environmental Conditions 

 1986 Season 



January: The mean pressure 

 distribution in Figure 1 shows a 

 normal location for the Icelandic 

 Low, with stronger than normal 

 pressure gradients surrounding it. 

 A westerly flow brought drier, 

 somewhat warmer conditions to 

 Newfoundland, while a northerly 

 flow brought near-normal condi- 

 tions to Labrador (Table 5). 



February: The Icelandic Low was 

 deeper than normal and was south 

 and west of its normal mean 

 February location (Figure 2). The 

 two Newfoundland stations had 

 colder and wetter conditions than 

 normal (Table 5), the result of 

 increased flow from the Labrador 

 Sea, providing a combination of 

 moisture and cooling from the 

 pack ice. Labrador (Goose Bay) 

 was at or above normal tempera- 

 ture and significantly drier than 

 normal, the result of a stronger 

 northerly flow. 



Marcfi: N/larch was significantly 

 colder for all three stations, with 

 precipitation below normal in 

 Goose Bay and Gander and 

 above normal in St. John's. This 

 pattern was caused by a deeper 

 than normal Icelandic Low, 

 causing a colder, more westerly 

 flow over the region (Figure 3). St. 

 John's received moist marine flow 

 from the Gulf of St. Lawrence 

 while Gander and Goose Bay 

 were under the influence of drier 

 continental air. 



April: The Icelandic Low was 

 farther east than normal, setting 

 up southerly, even southeasterly 

 flow over Newfoundland and 

 Labrador (Figure 4). April was 

 much warmer at all three locations 

 and significantly wetter in New- 

 foundland. These conditions were 

 caused by the more southerly 

 flow, bringing warm, moist marine 

 air from the Atlantic, without the 

 continental influence that normally 

 moderates conditions. 



May: The mean surface pressure 

 distribution was close to normal 

 during May (Figure 5). The below- 

 normal precipitation was caused 

 by the trough-like feature south of 

 Newfoundland, causing flow south 

 of the island rather than over it. 



June: A more southerly flow over 

 Newfoundland in June (Figure 6), 

 brought rrroister, slightly warmer 

 marine air, while Labrador re- 

 ceived cooler, moister marine air 

 from the Labrador Sea (Table 5). 



July: Labrador and Newfound- 

 land were cut off from their normal 

 southerly/southwesterly flow 

 (Figure/). As a result, all three 

 stations were cooler than normal. 

 The two Newfoundland stations 

 received a northeasterly flow, 

 bringing above normal precipita- 

 tion, while Labrador had a west- 

 erly flow, bringing continental air 

 and below normal precipitation. 



NOTE: Temperature and precipi- 

 tation data for Nain, Labrador, are 

 compared to 1985 values in Table 

 5. The reporting station at Hoped- 

 ale, Labrador, was closed in 1984 

 and the Nain station opened. An 

 historical mean for Nain does not 

 exist. 



