Ice conditions off the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador are well behind what would normally be seen this time of year.
Jason Ross, a senior ice forecaster with the Meteorological Service of Canada, says ice conditions this year are comparable to those normally seen much earlier in the season when compared to the average of what has been seen between 1980 and 2010.
“We should be seeing the ice right down to the Avalon Peninsula,” says Ross, but “right now we’re fairly far behind.” He says conditions right now are more typical of those seen in early January.
Ice was late forming this year due to warmer temperatures according to Ross, and wasn’t strong enough to withstand some of the strong winds that have blown through.
The ice cover didn’t start to grow off the south coast of Labrador until about mid-February when there was a cold snap.
The same is true of the Gulf of St. Lawrence where ice conditions are similar to those normally seen in early January.