ICE CONDITIONS 1957 



JANUARY 



The Grand Banks area was free of ice at the beginning of January, 

 but as the month wore on, considerable field ice was carried into the 

 area from the north. By the end of the month the southern limits of 

 this field ice approximated a line from Cape Race to 46°25' N., 46°30' W. 

 to 48°20' N., 47 °30' W. Although the route from Cape Race to St. 

 John's, Newfoundland, was encumbered by strings and patches of field 

 ice, it remained navigable throughout the month. 



Three bergs drifted south across the 48th parallel during the month. 

 One moved slowly south along the east coast of the Avalon Peninsula; 

 the other two traveled southeast along the northeast slope of the Grand 

 Banks. 



On 31 January, Cabot Strait was reported blocked by field ice extending 

 east from the strait to longitude 45° W. and south to latitude 46° N. 



FEBRUARY 



The field ice limits in the Grand Banks area progressed southward 

 during the first part of February. From the 19th to the end of the 

 month they did not vary much from a line running from Cape Race to 

 46° N., 50° W. to 43°50' N., 50°10' W. to 43°50' N., 48°20' W. to 

 45°30' N., 46°20' W. to 48 W N., 47°20' W. 



The berg limits also advanced southward and by the 28th attained 

 the line Cape Race to 43 °40' N., 48 °30' W. to Flemish Cap. Forty-three 

 bergs crossed the 48th parallel in February. Most of these were carried 

 southward along the east slope of the Grand Banks by the Labrador 

 Current, four of five others drifted south just off the east coast of the 

 Avalon Peninsula, and two others were reported in the vicinity of Flemish 

 Cap. 



A large area of close pack encumbered Cabot Strait and its approaches 

 throughout the month. The limits of this pack on the 28th approximated 

 a line from 45°40' N., 60°20' W. to 44°40' N., 58°00' W. to 45°20' N., 

 57 °00' W. to 10 miles off Cape Ray. 



The distribution of ice reported in February is shown graphically in 

 figure 12. 



MARCH 



The first 7 days of March saw the field ice limits progress rapidly 

 southward along the east slope of the Grand Banks. On the seventh 

 these limits approximated a line from Cape Pine to 45°50' N., 53°00' W. 

 to 45°40' N., 50°10' W. to 44°40' N., 49°15' W. to 42°30' N., 50°00' W. 

 to 43°15' N., to 47° N., 47° W. Gale winds and heavy seas dissipated 

 the southern portion of this pack ice and drove the remainder westward, 

 so that by the end of the month the field ice limits were a line from Cape 



