ICE CONDITIONS— 1956 



JANUARY— FEBRUARY 



No ice was reported to the International Ice Patrol during 

 January or February except a patch of field ice reported 21 

 February west of Funk Island, Newfoundland. 



MARCH 



The Grand Banks area remained clear of ice in the first half of 

 March. Approximately 20 bergs entered the Grand Banks area 

 during the last half of the month. These bergs were distributed 

 along the northeast slope of the Grand Banks between the 100 

 and 1,000 fathom curves. Nine bergs crossed the 8th parallel 

 during March. The most southerly of these was reported 25 March 

 in 46°24'N., 47°35'W., and the most easterly was reported on 

 the 29th in 47°54'N., 45°32'W. 



By the last week in March, the south and east limits of the 

 field ice in the Grand Banks area approximated a line from Bac- 

 calieu Island to 48°N., 49°W. to 49°N., 49°W. 



In the Gulf of St. Lawrence area, the steamer track from Cabot 

 Strait to the Gaspe Passage was navigable with caution during 

 the last 10 days of March. Considerable pack persisted through- 

 out the month to the southwest of this track in the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence, the western part of Cabot Strait and in the 

 St. Lawrence River. 



The distribution of ice reported during March in the Grand 

 Banks area is shown graphically in figure 8. 



APRIL 



That the 1956 ice season would be a light one was foreshadowed 

 by the fact that only 13 bergs drifted south across the 48th 

 parallel in April and the field ice limits in the Grand Banks area 

 advanced no farther south than 47°20'N. or farther east than 

 48°W. All berg and growler positions reported during the month 

 lay inside a line from Cape Spear to 46°N., 49°W. to 46°N., 47°W. 

 to 49°N., 49°W. 



Except for some isolated pieces of pack ice, the steamer track 

 from Cabot Strait to Gaspe Passage and up river was clear by 

 4 April. By the end of the month the heavy pack to the southwest 

 of this track disappeared except for some scattered pack off the 

 east and west coasts of Cape Breton Island. 



The distribution of ice reported in April in the Grand Banks 

 area is shown graphically in figure 9. 



