Arctic Ice Forecast - SECOND WEEK OF AUGUST BEGINS MELT WITH LATE AUGUST BEST

FECN14 CWIS 051800
THIRTY DAY ICE OUTLOOK FOR THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL ARCTIC FOR AUGUST 
ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA ON 5 AUGUST 2015.
THE NEXT 30 DAY OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED ON 19 AUGUST 2015.

Summary for July 17 to August 5.
Average air temperatures were near normal values over most locations 
except above normal over the Central Arctic. Ice melt was 1 week earlier 
than normal over most locations except 1 week later than normal over 
Queen Maud Gulf. 

Weather forecast for August 6 to 31.
Average air temperatures will be near normal values over most locations 
except above normal over the Central Arctic.

Southeastern Beaufort Sea.
August 6 to 15.
Open water except open drift to close pack old ice over the extreme 
northern section. Ice over the extreme northern section becoming very 
open drift ice during the second week. 

August 16 to 31.
Open water except for very open drift old ice over the extreme northern 
section.

Amundsen Gulf.
August 6 to 31.
Open water.

Prince of Wales Strait.
August 6 to 15.
Open water over the southern section. Elsewhere very open to open drift 
old ice melting completely during the second week.

August 16 to 31.
Open water.

M'Clure Strait.
August 6 to 15.
Close to very close pack old and first-year ice over the southern and 
extreme western sections. Elsewhere close to very close pack first-year 
ice including a trace of old ice. Ice becoming very open to open drift 
ice over the extreme northern section during the second week.

August 16 to 31.
Close pack old and first-year ice over the southern and extreme western 
sections. Elsewhere close pack first-year ice including a trace of old 
ice except for very open to open drift ice over the extreme northern 
section.

Northern Alaskan Coast.
August 6 to 15.
Within 45 nautical miles of the coast very open to open drift first-year 
ice becoming open drift to close pack first-year ice west of 146°W. Ice 
over the area becoming very open to open drift ice during the second 
week. Farther north close pack old ice.

August 16 to 31.
Within 45 nautical miles of the coast very open to open drift first-
year ice melting completely during the fourth week. Farther north open 
drift to close pack old ice.

Western Alaskan Coast.
August 6 to 15.
Open water south of Wainwright. North of Wainwright very open to open 
drift first-year ice except for a 30 nautical mile wide lead of open 
water. Ice melting completely during the second week.

August 16 to 31.
Open water.

Northern Beaufort Sea south of 75°N.
August 6 to 15.
Very open drift old ice within 30 nautical miles west of Banks Island. 
Elsewhere close pack old ice.

August 16 to 31.
Very open drift old ice within 30 nautical miles west of Banks Island. 
Elsewhere close pack old ice. Ice becoming open drift ice west of 145°W 
during the third week.

Arctic Ocean north of 75°N.
August 6 to 31.
Very close pack old ice except for close pack old ice south of 76°N.

Coronation Gulf.
August 6 to 31.
Open water.

Queen Maud Gulf.
August 6 to 15.
Open water along the southern and eastern shores. Elsewhere open drift to 
close pack first-year ice including a trace of old ice except for open 
drift to close pack old ice over the northwestern section. Ice becoming 
very open to open drift ice during the second week.

August 16 to 31.
Very open drift old and first-year ice melting completely during the 
fourth week.

Victoria Strait - Larsen Sound.
August 6 to 15.
Close to very close pack first-year ice including up to 2 tenths of old 
ice except for close to very close pack old ice over the north central 
section of Victoria Strait. 

August 16 to 31.
Close to very close pack first-year ice including up to 2 tenths of old 
ice except for close to very close pack old ice over the north central 
section of Victoria Strait. Ice becoming very open to open drift ice over 
Victoria Strait and eastern Larsen Sound during the fourth week.

Peel Sound.
August 6 to 15.
Close to very close pack old and first-year ice over the southern and 
northeastern sections. Elsewhere very open drift first-year ice including 
a trace of old ice. 

August 16 to 31.
Very open to open drift old and first-year ice over the northern section. 
Elsewhere close pack old and first-year ice becoming open drift ice 
during the fourth week.

M'Clintock Channel.
August 6 to 15.
Close to very close pack first-year ice including up to 3 tenths of old 
ice over the eastern section. Elsewhere close to very close pack old ice. 
 
August 16 to 31.
Close to very close pack first-year ice including up to 3 tenths of old 
ice over the eastern section. Elsewhere close to very close pack old ice. 
A narrow area of very open to open drift ice developing over the extreme 
southeastern section during the third week.

Viscount Melville Sound.
August 6 to 15.
Close to very close pack first-year ice including a trace of old ice 
except for close to very close pack old ice over the southwestern 
section. Ice becoming very open to open drift ice over the extreme 
northern section during the second week.

August 16 to 31.
Very open to open drift first-year ice including a trace of old ice over 
the northern section. Elsewhere open drift to close pack first-year ice 
including a trace of old ice except for open drift to close pack old ice 
over the southwestern section.

FECN16 CWIS 051800
THIRTY DAY ICE OUTLOOK FOR THE EASTERN AND NORTHERN ARCTIC FOR AUGUST 
ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA ON 5 AUGUST 2015.
THE NEXT 30 DAY OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED ON 19 AUGUST 2015.

Summary for July 17 to August 5.
Average air temperatures were above normal values over most locations 
except near normal over southern Baffin Bay. Ice melt was near normal 
over most locations except 1 to 2 weeks later than normal over Baffin 
Bay, Navy and Pond Inlets. However ice melt was 1 to 2 weeks earlier than 
normal over Barrow Strait and the High Arctic.

Weather forecast for August 6 to 31.
Average air temperatures will be above normal values over most locations 
except below normal over southwestern Baffin Bay.

Northern Baffin Bay (western section).
August 6 to 31.
Bergy water.

Baffin Bay (western section).
August 6 to 15.
Consolidated first-year ice including a trace of old ice along the Baffin 
Island coast fracturing during the first week then close to very close 
pack ice. North of 72°30'N bergy water. Elsewhere close to very close 
pack first-year ice including up to 2 tenths of old ice becoming open 
drift to close pack ice near mid-August.

August 16 to 31.
Very open to open drift first-year ice including up to 2 tenths of old 
ice melting completely during the fourth week.

Pond and Navy Board Inlets.
August 6 to 15.
Bergy water over Pond Inlet. Elsewhere open drift to close pack first-
year ice with up to 2 tenths of old ice becoming very open to open drift 
ice during the second week. Ice melting completely near mid-August.

August 16 to 31.
Bergy water.

Western Kane Basin.
August 6 to 15.
Close to very close pack old and first-year ice over the southern section 
becoming open drift ice near mid-August. Elsewhere open drift old ice.

August 16 to 31.
Open drift old ice.

Northern Admiralty Inlet.
August 6 to 15.
Very open drift first-year ice including a trace of old ice melting 
completely during the second week.

August 16 to 31.
Bergy water.

Lancaster Sound.
August 6 to 31.
Bergy water.

Barrow Strait.
August 6 to 15.
Bergy water over the eastern section except for open drift first-year ice 
with a trace of old ice along the southern shore. Ice over the eastern 
section becoming very open to open drift old and first-year ice during 
the second week. Elsewhere close to very close pack first-year ice 
including a trace of old ice becoming open drift to close pack ice during 
the second week.

August 16 to 31.
Very open drift old ice over the eastern section melting completely 
during the fourth week. Elsewhere open drift to close pack first-year ice 
including a trace of old ice.

Prince Regent Inlet.
August 6 to 15.
Bergy water over the northern section. Elsewhere close to very close pack 
first-year ice including a trace of old ice becoming open drift to close 
pack ice during the second week. 

August 16 to 31.
Bergy water over the northern section. Elsewhere very open to open drift 
first-year ice including a trace of old ice melting completely during the 
fourth week.

Gulf of Boothia.
August 6 to 15.
Close to very close pack first-year ice including a trace of old ice. Ice 
becoming open drift to close pack ice over the northern section near mid-
August.

August 16 to 31.
Open drift to close pack first-year ice including a trace of old ice over 
the northern section becoming very open to open drift ice during the 
fourth week. Elsewhere close to very close pack first-year ice including 
a trace of old ice becoming open drift to close pack ice during the 
fourth week.

Wellington Channel.
August 6 to 15.
Very close pack first-year ice including a trace of old ice over the 
extreme northern section becoming open drift ice during the second week. 
Elsewhere very open drift old ice except open water over the southern 
section.

August 16 to 31.
Ice melting completely during the third week then open water.

McDougall Sound.
August 6 to 15.
Consolidated first-year ice including a trace of old ice near Little 
Cornwallis Island fracturing during the first week then open drift to 
close pack ice. Elsewhere very open to open drift first-year ice 
including a trace of old ice.

August 16 to 31.
Very open drift first-year ice including a trace of old ice.

Jones Sound.
August 6 to 15.
Open drift to close pack first-year ice including a trace of old ice over 
the southwestern section becoming very open to open drift ice during the 
second week. Elsewhere very open drift first-year ice including a trace 
of old ice melting completely near mid-August.

August 16 to 31.
Bergy water over the eastern section. Elsewhere very open drift first-
year ice including a trace of old ice.

Norwegian Bay.
August 6 to 15.
Very open drift old ice over the extreme southern section. Elsewhere 
close to very close pack old and first-year ice. 

August 16 to 31.
Very open drift old ice over the extreme southern section. Elsewhere open 
drift to close pack old and first-year ice. 

Eureka Sound.
August 6 to 15.
Close pack first-year ice including a trace of old ice over the extreme 
northern section becoming open drift ice during the second week. 
Elsewhere very open drift first-year ice including a trace of old ice.

August 16 to 31.
Ice melting completely during the third week then bergy water.

END