concentrations became heavier. At no time during the remainder of the 

 month or year did pack ice penetrate any farther south than at this time. 



Through the first week in April, a rapid recession of the ice limits gave 

 the impression of an abrupt and early ending. The boundary on 9 April 

 lay roughly along latitude 50° X. between longitude 54° W. and 50° W. 

 It seems, however, that most of the ice previously to the south had been 

 chiefly non-Arctic winter and bay ice and that this new boundary was the 

 southern extremity of older, heavy Arctic ice which each year makes its 

 annual visitation into these waters. The boundary was again on 11 April 

 found to be moving southward and this trend continued until the 23d of 

 April when it reached its southernmost advance at the 48th parallel be- 

 tween longitude 52° W. and 48° W. (see fig. 11). 



During the last week in April destruction of the field ice due to spring 

 warming was in evidence (note the 32° isotherm on figs. 3-5) and the pack 

 edge showed positive signs of retreating. At the month's end the ice 

 boundary extended no farther offshore than longitude 50° W. and all sea 

 ice south of latitude 50° X. was in rapid deterioration. 



Ice conditions during the first week in April remained severe in Cabot 

 Strait and the eastern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Ten-tenths ice cover con- 

 tinued from Cape Xorth, Xova Scotia, across to Cape Ray, Xewfound- 

 land. The seaward limit extended to about a line from 45° N. 58°30' W. 

 to St. Pierre. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence there was open water west of 

 the Magdalen Islands and Bird Rocks which was tempting bait for ships 

 to try a passage through Cabot Strait. Traffic commenced and successful 

 passages were made with the help of routing instructions by the Ice 

 Forecasting Central at Halifax and Canadian icebreakers. 



By the middle of April conditions had eased considerably in Cabot 

 Strait and lanes of open water were appearing through the Strait. Heavy 

 ice persisted, however, between Cape Ray, Newfoundland, and the 

 Magdalen Islands and shipping was routed close to Cape St. Lawrence, 

 Xova Scotia, and to south and west of the Magdalens until about 20 

 April. At that time the seaward ice limits had shrunk to a line from Cape 

 Breton to Cape Ray and consisted of loose strings and patches of rapidly 

 rotting winter ice. Open water lay west of a line from St. Paul Island to 

 Bird Rocks and the normal steamer track was in almost full use. How- 

 ever, the west coast of Newfoundland including the ports of Stephen ville 

 and Corner Brook remained icebound. 



( )n 24 April only a small patch of loose ice remained in the Cape Breton 

 area. Cabot Strait and the main body of the Gulf were ice free after a 

 notably heavy season. Ice continued to block St. Georges Bay, Xewfound- 

 land, and the northeast arm of the Gulf of St. Lawrence throughout April. 



During the first week in April, the several icebergs which led the move- 

 ment southward along the eastern slope of the Grand Banks appeared to 

 have been an isolated group and the main body of bergs was still within 

 the field ice limits north of 49° Latitude. This advance group melted 

 mostly within the area between 45°-46° N. latitude with the southern- 



14 



