Coast Guard reports less ice in Gulf than usual

More proof that it's been a warmer winter so far has come from the Canadian Coast Guard.  They say there isn't as much ice around P.E.I. as usual for this time of year.

Coast Guard officials say ice conditions in the southern Gulf of St.Lawrence are about a week behind what would be considered a normal year.

Byron Briggs, superintendent of ice operations for the Canadian Coast Guard in the Atlantic region, said ice measurements match the level found on New Years Day last year.

"So we are a week behind but looking at the water temperatures, we are still not quite cold enough for significant ice growth," said Briggs.

"So that one week that we're behind now may turn out to be a little bit more. It's an El Nino year so everybody is expecting that the air temperatures over the Gulf of St.Lawrence this winter are going to be warmer than normal."

Briggs said if the trend continues, it shouldn't be as severe a year for ice as last year.

But he cautions that it's early in the season and things can change quickly.

Last year ice conditions developed rapidly in mid-February causing some problems for ships.

He notes the trend this year for Eastern Canada including the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River is about three weeks behind normal in terms of ice growth.