MONTHLY ICE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS 



September-October 1980 



Ice Patrol received no iceberg sighting reports 

 during these months. No sea ice was reported 

 south of 62°00N. Figures (la) and (lb) depict the 

 sea surface atmospheric pressure averages for 

 these months, showing near normal conditions. 



September brought three extratropical cyclones 

 across the North Atlantic between 45°00N and 

 55°00N. Mild conditions prevailed during the first 

 two weeks but gave way to record cold and abun- 

 dant rains for the rest of the month. The predomi- 

 nant windflow for the month of September over 

 the Grand Banks region was out of the southwest. 



October weather was near normal. There were 

 only two major storms during the month. One 

 storm occurred during the first week and the other 

 storm during the last week of the month. The 

 predominant windflow over the Grand Banks 

 region for the month of October was out of the 

 west-southwest. 



November 1980 



Ice patrol received no iceberg sighting reports 

 during this month. Sea ice started accumulating 

 and was reported as far south as 61°30N (Figure 

 2a) with 8-10 tenths of new and young ice. 



The major sea level pressure feature was the 

 displaced 1002mb Icelandic Low. It was centered 

 around 47°00N, 42°00W about 1000 miles west of 

 its usual position (Figure Ic). Extratropical storm 

 passages during November came late in the month. 

 There was a cluster of storm paths over Canada 

 north of 55°00N which remained over the area. 

 Temperatures were near normal; rain and snowfall 

 were above normal in most areas. The predomi- 

 nant windflow over the Grand Banks area was out 

 of the southwest. 



December 1980 



Ice Patrol received no iceberg sighting reports 

 during this month. Sea ice development continued 

 its southerly trend with 7-9 tenths of strips and 

 new ice reported along the coast of Newfoundland 

 as far south as 49°00N. There was fast ice, 



reported as 10 tenths new and young ice, along the 

 coast of Labrador as far south as 51°45N and ex- 

 tending approximately 60 miles off the coast 

 (Figure 2b). 



The average sea level pressure pattern for 

 December varied considerably from the mean 

 values for the period 1948 to 1970 (Figure Id). The 

 Icelandic Low had two centers of depression. 

 There was an upper air low over Baffin Island, 

 matching the one shown in this area's normal 

 pressure pattern, but the lowest height center was 

 over Nordkapp which differs from the climatic 

 average. The upper air high was northeast of its 

 usual position and more intense. A trough paral- 

 leled the east coast. St. John's Newfoundland 

 recorded 11.8 degrees Celsius on the 25th, the 

 warmest Christmas Day ever recorded. Precipita- 

 tion totals were generally above normal for most 

 areas. The predominant windflow for the month 

 was from the southwest over the Grand Banks 

 region. 



January 1981 



Ice Patrol received no iceberg sighting reports 

 for below 50°00N during this month. The first 

 preseason survey flight departed New York on 26 

 January. Reported sea ice conditions were open 

 water from Cape Bauld south to Cape Freels with 

 no ice south of this point. In late January (Figure 

 2c) 8-10 tenths concentrations of nilas were 

 reported 30 miles east of Notre Dame Bay and ex- 

 tended north of 52°00N. The sea ice limit for the 

 month extended as far south as 48°00N. 



The Icelandic Low was about 500 miles further 

 west than normal (Figure le). On the 5th there was 

 a low pressure system over the Labrador Sea. A 

 deepening frontal wave was travelling over New- 

 foundland and absorbed the circulation late in the 

 day. It brought strong gales to the Grand Banks 

 with winds in excess of 45 knots and seas in excess 

 of 20 feet. During the first 23 days the Maritimes 

 were hit by 5 major snow storms. Snowfall totals 

 were well above normal over the entire province of 

 Newfoundland and Labrador. Temperatures were 



