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Snow & Ice coverage in the Northern Hemisphere Winter 2019/20


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Posted
  • Location: Atherstone on Stour: 160ft asl
  • Location: Atherstone on Stour: 160ft asl

.....and we're off.

Here's a one year comparison from last August. Key points:

1) Less ice coverage towards the northern Siberian shore.

2) More early snowfall into Canada.

3) A larger ice-field on Greenland's eastern sea-board.

CaptureSI.PNG

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Posted
  • Location: Yorkshire
  • Location: Yorkshire

The Northwest Passage is still "sort of" open on one route but not clear - vessels are reporting thick ice in places. It's dodgy at the Northeast end and dodgy at the western exit. The northern half is seeing colder weather, the sea temperature is dropping, and it is predicted to see lots of snow next week. The 6 pleasure craft that went in have strung out - a few getting a move on and a few struggling with problems.

It's dangerous to sleep.

Http://figure8voyage.com/the-crux-of-the-matter-i/

MO trying to Assist ALIOTH's broken gear box

Http://figure8voyage.com/mo-is-through-the-ice/

BRESKELL took 4 days to transit 200 miles

Http://figure8voyage.com/peel-sound-with-trepidation/

Edited by Aleman
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Posted
  • Location: Kensington
  • Location: Kensington
26 minutes ago, Turnedoutniceagain said:

.....and we're off.

Here's a one year comparison from last August. Key points:

1) Less ice coverage towards the northern Siberian shore.

2) More early snowfall into Canada.

3) A larger ice-field on Greenland's eastern sea-board.

CaptureSI.PNG

You can certainly see the difference in ice extent to last year   looks in much more sorrowful state. 

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Posted
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
On 22/08/2019 at 10:26, weirpig said:

You can certainly see the difference in ice extent to last year   looks in much more sorrowful state. 

Exactly what I was thinking looking at those images......

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Posted
  • Location: Yorkshire
  • Location: Yorkshire

I follow Arctic ice, in part due to my interest in the sailing blogs of the Northwest Passage. I take a special interest in how much it opens as I try follow sailors. This year, it has sort of opened over the last week and looked likely to clear a good route - but it remains difficult sailing as fresh ice has migrated in. There have been a couple of comments about ice being higher than charted - but ice density is never homogenous on a local scale that can't be mapped.

The warm weather and sea temps in the Beaufort sea of late have broken up ice further northwest for it to drift south and east, closing the NWP in 4 places to non-ice class traffic, with loads of vessels still in there. I've never seen it as busy over the last decade, though the majority is ice-class supply shipping. Although, it should all disperse and melt again to clear another path through for non-ice class, subzero average temperatures and some snow are predicted through most of the NWP until further notice, from about 36 hours hence, so the local melt season might soon end and conditions get tougher. Lots of vessels, lots of ice, and wintery weather imminent should make for some interesting tales. It's a very dangerous place with several ways to get into trouble - mechanical failure, uncharted rocks, treacherous currents, polar bears, sea ice (a yacht was crushed and sank last year)  and freezing rain (top-heavy icing can turtle a small yacht) to name only the main ones. Sailing solo is very dangerous due to high injury risk and no local rescue facilities. Even helicopters can't rescue in high wind, fog or snow which are not rare. Vigilance needed can mean a lack of sleep can increase risk.

Https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-108.2/centery:70.0/zoom:4

Time stepping shows a dodgy open route for about 3 days, and then closure again for the last 3 or 4.

Http://ocean.dmi.dk/arctic/icethickness/thk.uk.php</font>

Closed - just

Https://ice-glaces.ec.gc.ca/prods/WIS153CT/20190826125800_WIS153CT_0010735249.pdf

Open - just, but looks to have closed since.

Https://ice-glaces.ec.gc.ca/prods/WIS152CT/20190826152800_WIS152CT_0010735508.pdf


Http://arcticnorthwestpassage.blogspot.com/2019/08/canada-ice-service-issues-30-day.html?view=sidebar

"Arctic conditions are 1-3 weeks earlier than normal
Satellite sends daily data but CIS fails to publish all of the areas... WTHO?
Canada Ice Service beset, without timely ice maps mariners are handicapped
CIS fails with stale data to provide timely margin for Safety at Sea"

 

Edited by Aleman
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Posted
  • Location: Yorkshire
  • Location: Yorkshire

A comparison with a few days ago shows snow starting to appear on northern Greenland, western Nunavut islands/Canadian Archepelago, and Alaskan North Slope as snow in the NW Territories and Yuon melt away some.

ims2019238_alaska.gifims2019235_alaska.gif

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Posted
  • Location: Yorkshire
  • Location: Yorkshire

Quite a few bits going on since yesterday. Some bits of snow on northern Russian and Siberian mountains. A tiny bit for Norway mountain and Alps. These might well all melt. The new bits across North Alaska, northern Canadian mainland coast and the islands off the coast have all come with much colder subzero weather and more snow predicted. Hello winter.

https://climatereanalyzer.org/wx/DailySummary/#seaice-snowc-topo

 

Edited by Aleman
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Posted
  • Location: Yorkshire
  • Location: Yorkshire

Odd pixels being added to Siberian mountains. Significant snow settled in Nunavut Province and some more to come. Some snow has settled in Northern Quebec but not showing here.

ims2019242_alaska.gifims2019243_alaska.gif

The Northwest Passage remains closed to non-ice class traffic at the western end as snow and ice has come in over the last few days. 4 pleasure craft have been seeking safe harbours until the bad weather and ice clears. 2 more pleasure craft and a host of ice-breakers, research vessels, community supply ships and cruise liners are headed their way, expecting warm seas and better weather to open things up again. The blocked west exit be exceptionally crowded for the next day or two, by NWP standards, and they might go through the blockage in convoy of non-ice class behind ice-class. Better weather is due in 1-2 days when melting might resume in western areas but the central area (Resolute/Bellot) looks set to remain cold, with freeze-up season about to start again there, helped by the settling snows and ice drifting in unpredictably from the main pack on prevailing currents.

Edited by Aleman
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Posted
  • Location: Yorkshire
  • Location: Yorkshire

Spots of snow keep appearing on mountains all over - Siberia, Alaska, Nunavut, Rockies north of US border, Iceland, Sweden, Norway. There was even a forecast of possible snow amongst the rain on Scottish mountains last night. Nothing has stuck at anything but high levels yet, though the Arctic turned a few degrees cooler in the last day. The forecast is for winter to make itself know over Siberia this week.

https://climatereanalyzer.org/wx/DailySummary/#seaice-snowc-topo

Arctic Sea ice volume looks to be at its bottom, making it maybe 3rd bottom after 2012 and 2016?

http://ocean.dmi.dk/arctic/icethickness/thk.uk.php

Ice extent's bottom still has a bit to go. similarly, that looks like finishing between 2nd and 4th.

https://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/charctic-interactive-sea-ice-graph/

 

 

 

 

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Posted
  • Location: North York Moors
  • Location: North York Moors

A couple of webcam grabs from Stelvio, I noticed they were shutting up shop a couple of days ago but the road will be re-opened for a while yet.

I've been over mid September when it was 10-15C and glorious. 

stelviolive_01.jpg

stelviolive_11.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Yorkshire
  • Location: Yorkshire

Pixels increasing in Siberia ahead of lots of expected snow this week. Odd spots of snow seen in southern Russia, Labrador and Wyoming that will probably vanish quickly.

ims2019250_alaska.gif

You can see the Artic sea ice starting to grow again in places. DMI showed the volume low several days ago, still being higher than 2016, 2012, 2008, and I can't tell whether it's above or below 2007.

http://ocean.dmi.dk/arctic/icethickness/thk.uk.php

 

Edited by Aleman
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Posted
  • Location: Poole, Dorset 42m ASL
  • Location: Poole, Dorset 42m ASL
5 hours ago, 4wd said:

A couple of webcam grabs from Stelvio, I noticed they were shutting up shop a couple of days ago but the road will be re-opened for a while yet.

I've been over mid September when it was 10-15C and glorious. 

stelviolive_01.jpg

stelviolive_11.jpg

That's been a relatively short season for them this year then..

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
12 hours ago, Turnedoutniceagain said:

Plenty of snow in Northern Italy

 

image.thumb.png.2284c9822317db2d2d0d8ff8bf5ab03b.png

How usual it is to see snow at such levels in Italy at this time of year.. quite unusual I would expect..

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