Ice climatology

Ice Climatology is a long-term view of ice conditions observations and measurements over a given geographic water region. It can be used to identify averages, trends and record conditions.

It is very important to monitor and archive sea ice conditions of Canadian waters every year. The Canadian Ice Service Archive (CISA) has been used to determine the average conditions for each year, as well as for determining the record maximum or minimum ice extent (coverage) over the years.

In this section, you will find:

• Seasonal summaries
• Annual Arctic Ice Atlas
• 30-year ice atlases
• Ice coverage records

You can also generate your historical bargraphs using the latest IceGraph Tool 2.0.

Related links

• Nares Strait satellite image January 2016
• Western Arctic ice analysis chart February 2016: ice concetration and fast ice
• Eastern Arctic satellite image January 2016
• East coast average water currents
• 30-year climatic ice atlases
• Definitions of sea ice climatic charts
• Great Lakes record maximum ice concentration analysis
• Eastern Arctic ice analysis chart February 2016: ice contration and fast ice
• Ice climatology seasonal summaries
• Great Lakes minimum ice coverage February 1998
• Ice coverage records
• Hudson Bay satellite image winter 2016
• Northwest Passage satellite image winter 2016
• Arctic water depth map
• Great Lakes total ice coverage graph 1980 to 2009
• Beaufort Sea total ice coverage graph 1981 to 2010
• Arctic archipelago total ice coverage graph 1980 to 2010
• Historical total accumulated ice coverage for northern Canadian waters
• Lake Huron total ice coverage graph 1980 to 2009
• Minimum ice coverage year: March 1, 2010
• Grand Banks total ice coverage graph 1980 to 2009
• Ellesmere Island satellite mosaic Jan 2016
• Northern Canadian minimum ice coverage graph 1971 to 2016
• Eastern Arctic minimum ice coverage graph, 1968 to 2016
• Hudson Bay minimum ice coverage graph, 1971 to 2016
• Northwest Passage minimum ice coverage graph, 1968 to 2016
• Western Arctic minimum ice coverage graph, 1968 to 2016
• Canadian Arctic minimum ice coverage graph, 1971 to 2016
• Beaufort Sea highest minimum ice coverage graph 1969
• Canadian Arctic highest minimum ice coverage 1972
• Eastern Arctic highest minimum ice coverage 1972
• Hudson Bay highest minimum ice coverage 1972
• Northern Canadian highest minimum ice coverage 1983
• Northwest Passage highest minimum ice coverage 1978
• Western Arctic ice highest minimum coverage graph 1969
• Beaufort Sea lowest minimum ice coverage graph 2012
• Canadian Arctic lowest minimum ice coverage graph 2012
• Eastern Arctic lowest minimum ice coverage graph 2011
• Hudson Bay lowest minimum ice coverage graph 1974
• Northern Canadian waters lowest minimum ice coverage graph 2012
• Northwest Passage ice coverage graph 2012
• Western Arctic lowest minimum ice coverage graph 2012
• Gulf of St.Lawrence lowest maximum ice coverage graph 2009 to 2010
• East coast lowest maximum ice coverage graph 2009 to 2010
• Gulf of St.Lawrence highest maximum ice coverage graph 2002 to 2003
• East Newfoundland lowest maximum ice coverage graph 2009 to 2010
• East Newfoundland highest maximum ice coverage graph 1989 to 1990
• East coast highest maximum ice coverage graph 1989 to 1990
• East coast maximum ice coverage graph 1968 to 2016
• East Newfoundland maximum ice coverage graph 1968 to 2016
• Gulf of St.Lawrence maximum ice coverage graph 1968 to 2016
• Lake Huron lowest maximum ice coverage graph 2011 to 2012
• Lake Erie lowest maximum ice coverage graph 1997 to 1998
• Great Lakes lowest maximum ice coverage graph 2011 to 2012
• Lake Superior lowest maximum ice coverage graph 2011 to 2012
• Lake Ontario lowest maximum ice coverage graph 2001 to 2002
• Lake Michigan lowest maximum ice coverage graph 2001 to 2002
• Lake Michigan highest maximum ice coverage graph 1976 to 1977
• Lake Huron highest maximum ice coverage graph 1993 to 1994
• Lake Erie highest maximum ice coverage graph 1977 to 1978
• Great Lakes highest maximum ice coverage graph 1978 to 1979
• Lake Superior highest maximum ice coverage graph 1995 to 1996
• Lake Ontario highest maximum ice coverage graph 1978 to 1979
• Lake Michigan maximum ice coverage graph 1972 to 2016
• Lake Ontario maximum ice coverage graph 1972 to 2016
• Lake Superior maximum ice coverage graph 1972 to 2016
• Great Lakes maximum ice coverage graph 1972 to 2016
• Lake Erie maximum ice coverage graph 1972 to 2016
• Lake Huron maximum ice coverage graph 1972 to 2016
• Canadian Arctic regional mosaic
• Baffin Bay total ice coverage graph 1981 to 2010
• Gulf of St Lawrence total ice coverage graph 1980 to 2009
• Southern Labrador total ice coverage graph 1980 to 2009
• Lake Superior total ice coverage graph 1980 to 2009
• Hudson Bay ice analysis chart February 2016
• East coast total ice coverage graph 1980 to 2009
• Northern Canada total ice coverage graph 1981 to 2010
• East coast maximum ice coverage March 1993
• Western Arctic regional mosaic
• Western Arctic ice analysis chart February 2016
• Great Lakes average water currents
• Great Lakes water depth map
• Lake Erie total ice coverage graph 1980 to 2009
• Hudson Bay ice analysis chart February 2016: ice concentration and fast ice
• Lake Ontario total ice coverage graph 1980 to 2009
• Arctic average water currents
• Beaufort Sea minimum ice coverage graph 1968 to 2016
• Eastern Arctic satellite mosaic winter 2016
• Lake Michigan total ice coverage graph 1920 to 2009
• Eastern Arctic ice analysis chart February 2016
• East coast water depth map
• METAREA 17 satellite mosaic January 2016
• Arctic hemisphere satellite image: sea ice minimum annually