and many described it as the mildest of their recollection. Cabot 

 Strait and the main body of the Gulf of St. Lawrence remained 

 ice free throughout the year. 



The first icebergs to make an appearance off Newfoundland 

 remained inside the pack ice as it moved down the coast during 

 the latter part of March. These bergs grounded, for the most 

 part, in the Funk Island — Cape Freels area and none drifted 

 south of Cape Bonavista. This became a pattern which persisted 

 until June when, for the first time this season, a group of bergs 

 was detected offshore and directly in the Labrador Current. How- 

 ever, abnormally high sea surface temperatures and a poorly 

 developed current prevented any of these bergs from achieving a 

 significant drift and the southernmost intrusion was to latitude 

 46°50'N. reached by one berg on 18 July. This was the one and 

 only berg-sized piece of glacial ice which drifted across the 48th 

 parallel this year, although one growler was sighted south of this 

 line and several more growlers undoubtedly did drift across. 



Thus the parameter by which the International Ice Patrol meas- 

 ures the severity of an iceberg year, i.e., the number of icebergs 

 which drift south of latitude 48 N., is, for 1958 one berg. For the 

 Grand Banks area, this constitutes one of the lightest ice years in 

 history and is in marked contrast to the 57-year average of 400 

 bergs. 1958 can be compared to the years of 1940, 1941, and 1951 

 which were the only previous ones where less than 10 bergs were 

 reported. 



The absence of ice over the Grand Banks precluded the necessity 

 of a surface patrol and the cutters assigned for this duty re- 

 mained on 72-hour standby while in continuance of regular duties 

 at home districts. However, during the period 16 May to 27 May, 

 fog enshrouded the area east of St. John's, Newfoundland, and 

 the many stationary radar targets reported by both aircraft and 

 ships indicated a possibility that bergs might be drifting into 

 Track "F" which was then in wide use by Canadian bound vessels. 

 Accordingly, the standby patrol vessel USCGC Acushnet, at Port- 

 land, Maine, was ordered to make ready for sea and proceed to 

 the area for patrol duties. Fortunately, however, the 28th of 

 May broke fine and clear and aerial observation that day revealed 

 no ice threat existed and the radar targets were identified as 

 ships, primarily fishing vessels. The Acushnet was directed to 

 resume 72-hour standby without having gotten underway. 



During the season, the oceanographic vessel USCGC Evergreen 

 made three surveys to map the ocean currents within the areas 

 of consideration. A postseason survey cruise was conducted off 

 Newfoundland and across the Labrador Sea from Labrador to 

 Greenland. Details of these cruises together with results of the 



