Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook Archive

Near St. Lawrence Island

Sea ice conditions near St. Lawrence Island have continued to decline this week. Sea ice within the lagoons around the island is no longer shorefast. Niyakpak Lagoon has surface and near shore melting with open water conditions and an isolated first year strip of ice off the coastline from the lagoon. From Camp Iveetok over to Tomname Lagoon and Camp Kalowiye the ice near shore is melting from the coastline out with surface meltwater ponds forming. Very open pack is drifting past the coast near Camp Kalowiye, with open water beyond the isolated area. To the...

Near St. Lawrence Island

Sea ice conditions near St. Lawrence Island have continued to decline this week. The shorefast ice along the northern coastline of the island is currently limited to Niyakpak Lagoon, a narrow shorefast strip near Savoonga up to 1 mile offshore, and a belt of shorefast ice from near Ataakas Camp on over to Camp Kulowiye extending up to 4 miles offshore. The shorefast ice along the southern coastline of the island is limited to the lagoons.

Open water to very open pack ice conditions lie beyond the shorefast ice to the north and northeast of the island. The...

Near St. Lawrence Island

Sea ice conditions near St. Lawrence Island have steadily declined this week. The shorefast ice along the northern coastline of the island continues to be limited in extent, currently extending up to 4.5 miles, while the shorefast ice along the southern coastline remains limited to the lagoons. Beyond the shorefast ice to the north and northeast of the island lies a region of very close to close pack ice consisting of first year ice floes. To the east of the island, close pack ice is shifting in and out near the shoreline. The coastline from Gambell around to...

Near St. Lawrence Island

Sea ice conditions near St. Lawrence Island have changed quite a bit from last week. The shorefast ice along the northern coastline of the island continues to be limited in extent, currently extending up to 4.5 miles, while the shorefast ice along the southern coastline remains limited to the lagoons. Beyond the shorefast ice to the north of the island, there is a region of very close to close pack ice consisting of first year ice floes. To the east of the island close-pack ice is shifting in and out near the shoreline. The coastline from Gambell around to the...

Near St. Lawrence Island

The shorefast ice along the northern coastline of the island continues to be limited in extent, currently extending up to 8 miles offshore, while the shorefast ice along the southern coastline is limited to the lagoons. To the north and east of the island lies a region of very close pack ice consisting of mainly first year ice floes. To the west and south of the island lies an area covered mainly with young and new ice with isolated first year ice floes in the vicinity.

Wales to Shishmaref

Shorefast ice along the northwest Seward Peninsula beyond the...

Near St. Lawrence Island

The shorefast ice along the northern coastline of the island continues to be limited in extent, currently extending up to 8 miles offshore, while the shorefast ice along the southern coastline is limited to the lagoons. To the west, north, and east of the island lies a region of very close pack ice consisting of mainly first year ice floes. A small polynya is currently located along the west coastline of the island just south of Gambell extending up to 3 nautical miles offshore. To the south of the island beyond the lagoons lies a very large polynya extending up...

Near St. Lawrence Island

The shorefast ice along the northern coastline of the island continues to be limited in extent currently extending up to 8 miles offshore, while the shorefast ice along the southern coastline is limited to the lagoons. Beyond the shorefast ice edge to the north and east of the island lies a region of very close pack ice consisting mainly of first year ice floes. To the south of the island beyond the lagoons and along the west facing coastline lies a very large polynya that has some new and young sea ice forming within it.

Wales to Shishmaref




The...

State of the Ice at Season’s Start

Analysts at the Alaska Ice Program cannot recall a time in recent memory when the ice around the Bering Strait was so broken up this early in the year. Compared to the extreme ice year of 2013, there is less ice over the Gulf of Anadyr; there is even less ice in that region than in 2014. Figures 1-3, below, show that there is less ice in the area than at this time of year in 2013 and 2014. Given the current state of the ice and the forecast by the Climate Prediction Center for a good chance of warmer than normal conditions, ice may be out of the area...

Near St. Lawrence Island

St. Lawrence Island is sea ice-free beyond the western, southern, and eastern coastlines. Strips of brash sea ice are continuing to stream off the main pack ice remaining near the Gulf of Anadyr and are passing to the north and northwest of the island at this time. The remainder of the Northern Bering Sea is mainly open water to sea ice-free.

Wales to Shishmaref

Lagoons from Wales to Espenberg are mostly sea ice-free at this time. Sea ice-free conditions lie from the Bering Strait through much of the southeastern Chukchi Sea offshore from Wales to...

Near St. Lawrence Island

St. Lawrence Island is sea ice free beyond the western, southern, and eastern coastlines. Very open-to-open pack ice lies near the northern coast from Dovelawik Bay to Kangee Camp and from Cape Kitnik over to Tomname Lagoon. Open water to sea ice free conditions lie beyond the northern coast up to the Bering Strait with isolated areas of very open pack ice that are rapidly melting. Strips of sea ice are continuing to stream off the main pack ice remaining near the Gulf of Anadyr and are passing to the northwest of the island at this time.

Wales to...

Near St. Lawrence Island

Sea ice floes continued to melt in the northern Bering Sea this past week. St. Lawrence Island is sea ice free beyond the western, southern, and eastern coastlines. Open water lies off the north coast from near Gambell over to Camp Iveetok. Open to very open pack ice lies off the coast beyond Tomname Lagoon. Strips of sea ice are continuing to stream off the main pack ice remaining near the Gulf of Anadyr and are passing to the northwest of the island at this time.

Wales to Shishmaref

The outer extent of the remaining shorefast ice from Wales to Ikpek...

Near St. Lawrence Island

Sea ice floes remaining in the northern Bering Sea continued to melt quite dramatically this past week. Sea ice remaining in the lagoons along the southern coast of St. Lawrence Island is continuing to melt. The previously shorefast sea ice along the northern coast is continuing to melt out from the shore as it also destabilizes and breaks off. St. Lawrence Island is sea ice free to the west, south, and east. Very open pack ice consisting of brash ice and broken pieces of shorefast ice lies within 2 to 10 miles of the northern coastline, and open pack ice lies...

Near St. Lawrence Island

The remaining sea ice in the northern Bering Sea melted quite dramatically this past week. Ice that was previously shorefast around St. Lawrence Island is flooding and forming melt ponds. This ice is expected to continue to melt in place from the shoreline and to break off in the coming week. Isolated areas of very open pack ice to open water lie near Koozata Lagoon on the southern coastline and Kiloknak Lagoon on the eastern coastline. The island is surrounded by primarily sea-ice-free to open-water areas with the nearest close pack ice located 4 miles...

Near St. Lawrence Island

The large polynya that was present along the southern coastline of St. Lawrence Island last week shifted so it now extends roughly 100 miles off the west coast of the island. An isolated high concentration area of mainly young and new sea ice lies near Powooiliak Bay along the southern coast of the island. An area of open pack ice consisting of small and medium floes lies off the southern coastline from Koozata Lagoon to near Boxer Bay. A polynya near Oomeyaluk Bay extends 5 to 30 miles beyond the shorefast ice edge. Shorefast ice along the northern coastline is...

Near St. Lawrence Island

Satellite imagery shows a large polynya along the southern coastline of St. Lawrence Island stretching over 100 miles to the west-southwest. Grease ice covers parts of the polynya, mainly forming overnight and melting during the day. Another polynya lies off the northern coastline from just east of Savoonga over to the east coast of the island stretching 35 to 55 miles beyond the shorefast ice edge. Shorefast ice in this region is beginning to destabilize and break off. Very open pack ice consisting of brash ice to big floes lies off the east coast of the island...

Near St. Lawrence Island

Satellite imagery shows a large polynya along the southern and western coastline of St. Lawrence Island, stretching 25 to 150 miles beyond the shoreline. Grease ice covers parts of the polynya, mainly forming overnight and melting during the day. Open pack ice composed of small to vast floes lies off the northern coastline beyond the shorefast ice extent with new and young sea ice in between the floes. The shorefast ice along the northern coastline of the island extends roughly 1 to 4 miles, while the shorefast ice along the southern coastline is mainly limited...

Near St. Lawrence Island

Satellite imagery shows a large polynya along the southern and western coastline of St. Lawrence Island, stretching 30 to 150 miles beyond the shoreline. Grease ice and strips of young ice cover parts of the polynya. Open pack ice composed of small to vast floes lies off the northern coastline beyond the shorefast ice extent with new and young sea ice in between the floes. The shorefast ice along the northern coastline of the island extends roughly 1 to 12 miles, while the shorefast ice along the southern coastline is mainly limited to the lagoons.

Wales...

Near St. Lawrence Island

Satellite imagery shows that the polynya along the southern coastline of St. Lawrence Island has frozen over with new and young sea ice in an area stretching 20 to 50 miles beyond the shoreline. Close pack ice composed of small to vast floes lies off the northwestern coast of Gambell to Savoonga with new and young sea ice in between the floes. Along the northern coast east of Savoonga lies very close pack ice composed of medium to vast floes. The shorefast ice along the northern coastline of the island extends roughly 2 to 15 miles, while the shorefast ice...

Near St. Lawrence Island

Satellite imagery shows that the polynya along the southern coastline of St. Lawrence Island has frozen over with new and young sea ice in an area stretching 20 to 50 miles beyond the shoreline. Close pack ice composed of small to vast floes lies off the northwestern coast of Gambell to Savoonga with new and young sea ice in between the floes. Along the northern coast east of Savoonga lies very close pack ice composed of medium to vast floes. The shorefast ice along the northern coastline of the island extends roughly 2 to 15 miles, while the shorefast ice...

Near St. Lawrence Island

Satellite imagery shows a polynya along the southern coastline of St. Lawrence Island with a width of 5 to 40 miles. Close pack ice composed of medium to vast floes lies off Gambell’s western coast with new and young sea ice in between the floes. Beyond the shorefast ice along the northern coastline lies very close pack ice composed of medium to vast floes with high concentrations of young ice between the floes. The shorefast ice along the northern coastline of the island extends roughly 5 to 13 miles, while the shorefast ice along the southern coastline is...

Near St. Lawrence Island

Satellite imagery shows close pack ice in medium to vast floes surrounding St. Lawrence Island, with high concentrations of new and young sea ice filling in between the floes. The shorefast ice along the northern coastline of the island extends roughly 7 to 13 miles, while the shorefast ice along the southern coastline is mainly limited to the lagoons.

Wales to Shishmaref

Beyond the shorefast ice from Shishmaref up to Kotzebue Sound lies a large polynya 5 to 15 miles wide that has frozen over with new and young sea ice. The shorefast ice extent along...

Near St. Lawrence Island

St. Lawrence Island is completely sea ice free with the open water edge located roughly 70 miles to the north of the island.

Wales to Shishmaref

The seasonal melt has continued in the southern Chukchi Sea this past week. The Bering Strait and southern Chukchi Sea up to roughly 69.5 degrees north are mainly open water. No shorefast ice remains along the coastline from Wales to Shishmaref. The ice remaining consists of open to very open pack ice stretching up to 15 miles off the coastline. Bays and waters within the barrier islands are open water.

5 to...

Near St. Lawrence Island

The coastline of St. Lawrence Island is now sea ice free, with large areas of open water surrounding the island in the northern Bering Sea. A strip of sea ice is located to the west of the island and is continuing to melt. There are also a few strips of sea ice remaining northwest of the island that are rapidly melting.

Wales to Shishmaref

The seasonal melt in the southern Chukchi Sea has continued this past week. The Bering Strait and southern Chukchi Sea up to roughly 68.5 degrees north are mainly open water with very open to open pack ice...

Near St. Lawrence Island

Over the past week the St. Lawrence Island area has experienced a major seasonal melt of the ice pack near the island. The ice remaining within shallow bays and inlets is no longer shorefast and is melting rapidly. Open water to very open pack ice lies to the north of the island and a roughly 5 to 8 mile wide belt of ice is floating near the southern coastline with open water beyond. Other belts of sea ice are rapidly melting and drifting within the northern Bering Sea as well.

Wales to Shishmaref

The southern Chukchi Sea has also experienced a...