Ice Departure Delayed

Observation: The sea ice in Norton Sound is still there, and with no east winds to blow the ice out, this years herring season has been cancelled and no King (salmon) nets have been able to be set for harvesting. Normally, the ice gets blown out to sea with the east wind and if the wind switches, it'll come back but this year we haven't had any east wind at all. It's definitely kept our temperatures cooler than they normally would be. And so many flights have been cancelled because of fog. The mail is taking forever! At least it's a little warmer upriver. Victoria Kotongan, LEO

LEO says: For map of current sea ice status see the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

Resource:

Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook (SIWO) – "is a resource for Alaska Native subsistence hunters, coastal communities, and others interested in sea ice and walrus. The SIWO provides weekly reports from April through June with information on weather and sea ice conditions relevant to walrus in the northern Bering Sea and southern Chukchi Sea regions of Alaska. The Outlooks are produced with information on weather and sea ice conditions provided by the National Weather Service - Alaska Region and Alaska Native sea ice experts." Source: SEARCH: Study of Environmental Arctic Change