Monday, August 5, 2013

20130804 Northwest Passage Ice Chart CHOKE POINTS - A LATE MELT SEASON - ENJOY BEECHEY ISLAND, FORT ROSS, HERSHEL ISLAND OR TUKTOYAKTUK DEPENDING ON DIRECTION OF TRAVEL


RECOMMENDATIONS:

EAST TO WEST NWP VOYAGE: Advance towards Fort Ross. If you have time, consider stopping to explore at FURY BEACH in position 72.603836N, -93.0761719W which was where Captain William Parry beached HMS FURY in an attempt to save her in 1825 but the keel was broken. Wait at Fort Ross for the west side of Bellot Strait to melt open along with enough shore ice melt to find your way coastwise to Gjoa Haven then proceed to Cambridge Bay, Tuktoyaktuk, Hershel Island, Point Barrow (alternative anchorage is Elson Lagoon to wait for a Pacific weather window) then do not delay and sail direct to Port Clarence or Nome Harbor. You do not want to experience the Fall storms in the Chukchi Sea - there are no harbors for refuge.

WEST TO EAST NWP VOYAGE: Advance to Hershel Island or Tuktoyaktuk. When sea ice is clear move ahead to Cambridge Bay. If you are planning the alternative route through Prince of Wales Strait you need to consider how late you may have to wait for Viscount Melville to open to reach Resolute Bay, Beechey Island then to Pond Inlet. Don't count on navigating Viscount Melville this season without good shore support from someone with vessel weather and navigation experience. From Cambridge Bay you may be able to proceed direct to Bellot Strait late in the season from melting sea ice otherwise the alternative will be to go to Gjoa Haven then consider Bellot Strait to Fort Ross then to Pond Inlet.  In the extreme alternative from Bellot Strait it is possible to challenge Fury & Hecla into Foxe Basin to Hudson Bay seaward. Be sure you have good shore support before making this decision - if Fury & Hecla route is blocked you must turn around to travel far north some 500 nautical miles to reach Arctic Bay or Pond Inlet.

RESOLUTE BAY
PEEL SOUND

FRANKLIN STRAIT
WEST SIDE OF BELLOT STRAIT
GULF OF BOOTHIA

FOXE BASIN


BANKS ISLAND
MC CLURE STRAIT
PRINCE OF WALES STRAIT - OPEN
VISCOUNT MELVILLE STRAIT
ALASKA ARCTIC COAST - OPEN SUBJECT TO WINDS DRIFTING ICE
CAPE BATHURST - OPEN SUBJECT TO WINDS DRIFTING ICE


http://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/2013/08/05/arctic-sea-ice-obliterates-record-for-slow-melt/

Arctic Sea Ice Obliterates Record For Slow Melt

Normally the past two weeks produce the rapidest melt of the year. This year there has been almost no loss of ice area since July 24.
ScreenHunter_238 Aug. 05 08.45

FECN14 CWIS 021800

THIRTY DAY ICE OUTLOOK FOR THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL ARCTIC
FOR AUGUST ISSUED BY THE NORTH AMERICAN ICE SERVICE ON 2
AUGUST 2013.

THE NEXT 30 DAY OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED ON 21 AUGUST 2013. (Check back here for updates)

Summary for July 15 to 31.

Average air temperatures were near normal values over most locations except
above normal near Point Barrow. Ice melt was 1 week earlier than normal over
most locations except 1 to 2 weeks later than normal over the southeastern Beaufort Sea, the Arctic Ocean, in Amundsen Gulf and M’Clure Strait.

Weather forecast for August 1 to 31.

Average air temperatures will be near normal values over most locations except above normal from Coronation Gulf to Peel Sound and in M’Clintock Channel.


Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula.

August 1 to 15.

Open drift to close pack first-year ice with a trace of old ice except for very open drift ice within 10 to 15 miles of the shore. Ice melting completely within 30 miles of the shore during the second week of August. Open water persisting in Mackenzie Bay.

August 16 to 31.

Open water.


Mackenzie Bay to Cape Bathurst.

August 1 to 15.

Open drift to close pack first-year ice with a trace of old ice except for very open drift ice within 10 to 15 miles of the shore. Ice melting completely within 30 miles of the shore during the second week of August. Open water persisting in Mackenzie Bay.

August 16 to 31.

Open water.


Beaufort Sea south of 75°N.

August 1 to 15.

An area of very open drift first-year ice with a trace of old ice within 10 to 15 miles of the shore north of Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula increasing to 60 to 70 miles of the shore from Mackenzie Bay to Barter Island. Farther offshore very close pack first-year ice with a trace of old ice with some intrusion of ice near Cape Bathurst. Very close pack old and first-year ice lying about 110 miles north of the shore east of 141°W.

West of 141°W very close pack first-year ice with 2 tenths of old ice except for open drift to close pack first-year ice with a trace of old ice within 60 to 70 miles of the coast. Ice melting completely within 30 to 40 miles of the shore from Cape Bathurst to Barter Island and along the western shore of Banks Island during the second week of August.

August 16 to 31.

Open water within 60 miles of the shore from Cape Bathurst to Barter Island and along the western shore of Banks Island. Farther offshore and east of 141°W close to very close pack old and first-year ice. Within 70 miles of the Alaskan Coast very open to open drift first-year ice with a trace of old ice. Farther offshore and west of 141°W open drift first-year ice with 2 tenths of old ice.


Arctic Ocean north of 75°N.

August 1 to 15.

East of 143°W very close pack old and first-year ice. West of 143°W very close pack first-year ice with 2 tenths of old ice.

August 16 to 31.

East of 143°W close to very close pack old and first-year ice. West of 143°W open drift first-year ice with 2 tenths of old ice.


Cape Lisburne to Point Barrow.

August 1 to 15.

Open water south of Wainwright and within 10 to 15 miles of the shore from
Wainwright to 20 miles southwest of Point Barrow. Elsewhere open drift to close pack first-year ice becoming very open to open drift ice during the first week of August. Ice near Point Barrow melting completely during the second week of August.

August 16 to 31.

Open water.

END


http://iceweb1.cis.ec.gc.ca/Prod20/page3.xhtml

Eastern Arctic - FECN16CWIS - 2013-08-02 00:00:00 UTC

FECN16 CWIS 021800
THIRTY DAY ICE OUTLOOK FOR THE EASTERN AND NORTHERN ARCTIC FOR AUGUST 

ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA ON 2 AUGUST 2013.
THE NEXT 30 DAY OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED ON 21 AUGUST 2013.

Summary for July 15 to 31.
Average air temperatures were near normal values over most locations 
except above normal over Committee Bay. Ice melt was near normal over 
most locations except 1 to 2 weeks earlier than normal over Baffin Bay, 
Kane Basin and from Prince Regent Inlet to Committee Bay. The only 
exception to this trend is that ice conditions in Barrow Strait were 1 to 
2 weeks later than normal.

Weather forecast for August 1 to 31.
Average air temperatures will be above normal values over most locations 
except near normal over the High Arctic. 


Baffin Bay.
August 1 to 15.
Open drift to close pack first-year ice with a trace of old ice within 60 
miles of the shore along Baffin Island from Cape Dyer to Clyde becoming 
very open to open drift ice during the second week of August. Open drift 
first-year ice in Melville Bay melting completely during the second week 
of August. Elsewhere bergy water. 

August 16 to 31.
Very open drift first-year ice with a trace of old ice along Baffin 
Island from Cape Dyer to northeast of Clyde melting completely during the 
third week of August. Elsewhere bergy water.


Pond Inlet.
August 1 to 31.
Bergy water.


Kane Basin.
August 1 to 15.
Over the western section very open drift old ice except for close pack 
first-year ice with 4 tenths of old ice in the central section. Ice 
becoming very open to open drift old ice over the western section during 
the second week of August. Over the eastern section close to very close 
pack first-year ice with a trace of old ice becoming open drift to close 
pack ice during the second week of August. Ice islands over the area.

August 16 to 31.
Very open to open drift old ice. Ice islands over the area.


Kennedy Channel.
August 1 to 15.
Over the southern section open drift old and first-year ice. Over the 
northern section very close pack old ice. Ice becoming open drift to 
close pack ice over the area during the second week of August. Ice 
islands over the area.

August 16 to 31.
Open drift to close pack old ice persisting over the area. Ice islands 
over the area.


Admiralty Inlet Northern.
August 1 to 15.
Very open drift first-year ice melting completely during the first week 
of August then bergy water. 

August 16 to 31.
Bergy water.


Lancaster Sound.
August 1 to 15.
Open drift to close pack first-year ice with a trace of old ice over the 
western third becoming very open to open drift ice during the second week 
of August. Elsewhere bergy water.

August 16 to 31.
Very open to open drift first-year ice with a trace of old ice over the 
western section melting completely during the last week of August. 
Elsewhere bergy water.


Prince Regent Inlet.
August 1 to 15.
Open drift to close pack first-year ice with a trace of old ice over the 
northern third becoming very open to open drift ice during the second 
week of August. Elsewhere bergy water.

August 16 to 31.
Very open to open drift first-year ice with a trace of old ice over the 
northern section melting completely during the last week of August. 
Elsewhere bergy water.


Gulf of Boothia.
August 1 to 15.
Close to very close pack first-year ice with a trace of old ice. Ice 
becoming very open to open drift ice over the northern section and open 
drift to close pack ice over the southern section during the second week 
of August.

August 16 to 31.
Ice melting completely over the northern section during the third week of 
August. Open drift to close pack first-year ice with a trace of old ice 
over the southern section becoming very open to open drift ice during the 
last week of August. 


Pelly Bay.
August 1 to 15.
Open drift first-year ice over the northern section melting completely 
during the second week of August. Elsewhere open water.

August 16 to 31.
Open water.


Barrow Strait.
August 1 to 15.
Close to very close pack first-year ice with a trace of old ice. Ice 
becoming very open to open drift ice over the eastern section and open 
drift to close pack ice over the western section during the second week 
of August. 

August 16 to 31.
Very open to open drift first-year ice with a trace of old ice. Ice 
melting completely over the eastern section during the last week of 
August.


Wellington Channel.
August 1 to 15.
Close to very close pack first-year ice becoming open drift ice during 
the second week of August.

August 16 to 31.
Open drift first-year ice becoming very open drift ice during the last 
week of August.


McDougall Sound.
August 1 to 15.
Close to very close pack first-year ice with 1 tenth of old ice becoming 
open drift ice during the second week of August.

August 16 to 31.
Open drift first-year ice with 1 tenth of old ice becoming very open 
drift ice during the last week of August.


Jones Sound.
August 1 to 15.
Open drift to close pack first-year ice with a trace of old ice.

August 16 to 31.
Open drift first-year ice with a trace of old ice becoming very open 
drift ice during the last week of August.


Norwegian Bay.
August 1 to 15.
Consolidated first-year ice with a trace of old ice over the southwestern 
and central sections fracturing during the first week of August then very 
close pack ice. Open drift to close pack ice over the southeastern 
section. Consolidated first-year ice with a trace of old ice over the 
northern section fracturing during the second week of August. Area of 4 
tenths of old ice embedded in the pack ice over the extreme western 
section. 

August 16 to 31.
Open drift to close pack first-year ice with up to 4 tenths of old ice. 
Ice becoming very open drift ice over the eastern section during the last 
week of August.


Eureka Sound.
August 1 to 15.
Consolidated first-year ice with a trace of old ice over the extreme 
southern and northern sections fracturing during the first week of 
August. Elsewhere open drift to close pack first-year ice with a trace of 
old ice becoming very open to open drift ice during the second week of 
August. 

August 16 to 31.
Very open drift first-year ice with a trace of old ice melting completely 
during the third week of August then bergy water.

END

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