than normal (Figures 3-4). February and 

 March showed a reversal in the preceding 

 month's sea ice growth pattern (Figures 5-6). 

 The sea ice extent exceeded normal condi- 

 tions during this period and reached as far 

 south as 46°N in the vicinity of the Grand 

 Banks. At the end of February, 10 icebergs 

 were south of 48°N. The reported LAKI (Fig- 

 ure 11) approximated the climatological me- 

 dian position for 15 f^/larch, thus triggering the 

 start of the Ice Patrol Season on 3 March. 



May 



Sea ice melting occured at a normal rate. 

 However, remnants persisted along the coast 

 of Newfoundland (Figure 8). The reported 

 LAKI on 31 May (Figure 16) reached the 25th 

 percentile to the east and the median clima- 

 tological LAKI to the south. There were 238 

 icebergs south of 48°N in May. 



June 



March 



Throughout the month of March, a tongue 

 of sea ice extended eastward to approximately 

 46°N, 47°W (similar to sea ice conditions of 

 1995), implying significant surface circulation 

 towards the east (Figure 6). As seen with 

 these conditions in the past, the reported LAKI 

 positions for March (Figures 11-12) extended 

 to an extreme eastward longitude of 39°W. 

 There were 475 icebergs south of 48°N and 

 the southern extent of the LAKI at the end of 

 March was 42°N. 



April 



For the first half of the month, the east- 

 ern sea ice tongue receded, but remained ex- 

 tended to 49°N, 49°W (Figure 7). Later in the 

 month, the sea ice rapidly melted and the edge 

 receded toward the Labrador-Newfoundland 

 coastlines. MP's LAKI was reported near the 

 25th percentile climatological LAKI for the 

 month of April (Figures 13-14). There were 

 162 icebergs south of 48°N in April. 



The sea ice edge retreated above 52°N 

 (Figures 9-10). The IIP LAKI (Figures 17-18) 

 approximated the median climatological LAKI 

 in the east and fell between the 75th percen- 

 tile and the median to the south. There were 

 80 icebergs south of 48''N in June. 



July 



The reported LAKI (Figure 19) approxi- 

 mated the median climatological LAKI to the 

 east reaching 44°W. To the south, the LAKI 

 reached an extreme position of 41°30'N on 

 15 July. By 30 July, the LAKI had retreated to 

 the median around 46°N. There were 43 ice- 

 bergs south of 48°N in July (Figure 20). 



August 



The LAKI had retreated to 48°N by mid- 

 August (Figure 21 ) while there were 3 icebergs 

 south of 48°N. The Ice Patrol Season closed 

 on 14 August. 



14 



