ICE CONDITIONS 1959 



JANUARY 



The beginning of the year found the Newfoundland area in the grip of 

 a severe winter. Since the middle of December the Gulf and River St. 

 Lawrence had been ice bound. On 27 December an aircraft had reported 

 the Strait of Belle Isle blocked with heavy pack ice. 



By L5 January heavy sea ice extended northward along the Newfound- 

 land and Labrador coasts from latitude 51° N. and eastward to Longitude 

 53°40' W. On lb January fields of loose ice were reported drifting seaward 

 in Cabot Strait reaching as far out as 4b° N. 57° W. 



Throughout the month patches of block and brash ice hampered coast- 

 wise shipping along Newfoundland. This was all local ice due to the 

 extremely cold winter and was not of the Arctic pack. 



No icebergs were reported south of latitude 54° N. during the month. 



FEBRUARY 



The month of February was marked by extremely heavy local pack ice 

 conditions along the Newfoundland coast. By the end of the first week a 

 heavy ice field extended eastward from the Newfoundland coast along the 

 48th Parallel to longitude 50° W. thence turning north-northwestward. 

 Small fields and patches of loose pack ice existed all around the Avalon 

 Peninsula of Newfoundland. For the first time in many years shipping was 

 hampered in Placentia Bay, normally an ice-free access to Newfoundland. 



Prevailing westerly winds prevented a blockade of ice to the approaches 

 to St. John's harbor and shipping was able to proceed into the harbor 

 throughout the month. Several cases of hull and propeller damage were 

 reported mostly in the off lying patches and fields driven eastward by the 

 wind. 



Throughout the latter half of February the boundary of the heavy 

 pack ice remained very nearly the same as the first week, the only sig- 

 nificant change being a southeastward extrusion during the last week to 

 about latitude 47°50' N. longitude 48°40' W. evidencing a transport by 

 the Labrador Current. 



Fields of loose sea ice persisted around the coast of the Avalon Penin- 

 sula through the end of the month, diminishing somewhat, however, the 

 latter half. The greatest southward penetration occurred on 17 February 

 when a field of ice of nine-tenths ice cover of the sea surface extended 

 from Cape Race southward to latitude 46°15 / N. 



Ice in the Cabot Strait and the Gulf of St. Lawrence became heavier as 

 the month wore on. No clearly established seaward limits can be stated 

 as the ice consisted chiefly of rapidly shifting patches and small fields of 

 block and brash. However, no ice was reported during the month south 

 of latitude 44°50' N. or east of longitude 57° W. The center of the Strait 

 was probably navigable throughout the month, but all harbors and bays 



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