within the Gulf were tightly closed and often huge Canadian and United 

 States icebreakers were brought to a standstill. 



The first of the Arctic ice was reported on 2(> February by Belle Isle 

 Radio which stated that 8 miles to the north had been sighted "... the 

 edge of the Arctic ice pack with many icebergs in pack." 



Except for vessels attempting to use Canadian Steamship Track "F" 

 (via Cape Race) and Newfoundland shipping there was no ice threat to 

 any transatlantic shipping lanes in February. 



MARCH 



March witnessed the peak of the Cabot Strait and Grand Banks 

 field ice and the beginning of the iceberg menace to the shipping tracks. 

 During the first 2 weeks, the sea ice off eastern Newfoundland resembled 

 a huge boot with the heel at St. John's and the toe pointing eastward to 

 longitude 47°30' W. and the leg extending northward between longitude 

 50° W. and the Newfoundland coast. All the ice south of latitude 50° N. 

 was non-Arctic in origin. 



Ice to the east of the Avalon Peninsula eased somewhat the first week 

 of March. However, during the second week and under the influence of 

 strong northerly winds sea ice again was carried southward past Cape 

 Race and reached its greatest extent of the year on 14 March when it 

 protruded southward from Cape Race and Cape Pine to about latitude 

 46° N. This ice quickly deteriorated so that by 21 March no more was 

 reported south of Cape Race. By the 24th of the month the coast of the 

 Avalon Peninsula was free south of Cape St. Francis and remained so. 



To the eastward, over the northern slope of the Grand Banks, field ice 

 persisted changing little during the second half of March. Throughout 

 this period it extended from the Newfoundland coast north of latitutde 

 48° N. outward along the 100-fathom isobath to about longitude 47° W. 

 (see figure 10). The peak of the field ice over the Grand Banks for the 

 year was reached between 15-22 March and represented about average 

 conditions. 



The Gulf of St. Lawrence, on the other hand, was experiencing an ex- 

 ceptionally heavy season. During the first week in March, Cabot Strait 

 was bridged with ice and the seaward limits became definite and re- 

 mained throughout the month at approximately a line extending from 

 Cape Ray, Newfoundland, to St. Pierre to about 45° N. 58° W. thence 

 recurving northward to Cape Breton Island. The greatest southward 

 drift of the year was reported on 5 March when the ice edge was sighted 

 near Sable Island, and the farthest east were patches and strings of loose 

 ice at 46° N. o4°40' W. on 27 28 March. By the end of the month, though, 

 the seaward limits were receding and the western reaches of the Gulf be- 

 tween Cape Gaspe and Anticosti Island were reported open. But the 

 "ice bridge" between Cape Breton Island and Cape Ray caused by the 

 piling up of the huge amount of outward drifting ice remained fast. IIow- 



12 



