Warm January for Maritimes contributes to record lows in sea ice for the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Sea ice shown on the shorelines of eastern New Brunswick and the North Shore of Nova Scotia in the solid, bright whites. (Courtesy of satellite imagery from NASA).

The month of January finished with above normal temperatures in the Maritimes. While a couple of storm systems moved through the region, they were primarily a mix of snow and rain with each coming with a push of milder in a southerly wind.

January 2024 average daily temperature compared to 30 year climate normal. (Source: CTV News Atlantic)

The combination of storms and warmer air temperatures allowed sea ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to reach some daily record lows in the month of January. From notes from Environment Canada and Canadian Ice Services, ice coverage in the Gulf of St. Lawrence briefly reached 4.9 per cent before dropping back to 2.6 per cent. For reference, the average coverage for the month of January is 21.2 per cent.

Ultimately the month ended with the third-lowest ice coverage for the month of January on records going back to 1969.

Observed sea ice this winter season (blue bars) compared to the climate average (green line). (Courtesy: Environment and Climate Change Canada and Canadian Ice Services).

Some of the effects of reduced sea ice include coastal areas that would normally be iced in more susceptible to erosion from wave and wind action. Sea ice coverage can also work to reduce the amount of moisture available for snow squalls for Prince Edward Island and northern/eastern areas of Nova Scotia.

Sea surface temperatures surrounding the Maritimes were also found to be above the January average. Through early February, sea surface temperatures in parts of the Gulf of St. Lawrence are running about a degree above average. Waters off the Atlantic coastline of Nova Scotia are also running about a degree above average. A small area of ocean water in the Gulf of Maine is running slightly below average. The waters of the Bay of Fundy appear to be near average.

High resolution satellite imagery from Feb. 8 doesn’t appear to show much substantial progress in sea ice coverage. There is more present on the shoreline of eastern New Brunswick as well as the North Shore of Nova Scotia. Aside from that, the Gulf of St. Lawrence appears to be largely open and ice cover in the Northumberland Strait looks to be about 50 per cent.