Less ice around P.E.I. than normal, says coast guard

Ice conditions around P.E.I. this winter are similar to 2010 — one of the lightest ice years on record, according to the Canadian Coast Guard. 

• Global warming threatens the backyard rink
• Coast Guard reports less ice in Gulf than usual
• Ice can be unstable and weak with fluctuating weather, warns P.E.I. Red Cross

Ice formation is about three weeks behind a typical year, which is good news for marine shipping, but if the trend continues, it will be bad news for seals looking for ice on which to pup in about a month.

"It kind of takes three things to make ice. It takes calm weather, cold water and cold temperatures," said Byron Briggs, superintendent of ice operations for the Canadian Coast Guard in the Atlantic region, based in St. John's.

Right now, the region is experiencing only one of the three: cold water.

"The mild weather that we've just had — and we've got another dose of the mild weather coming — so that is not going to work."

Weather patterns throughout January have resulted in a lot of wind in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, setting the ice-forming process behind, said Briggs.

"So what ice that has started to form has typically been beaten up, and the freezing process has to start all over again after each storm," Briggs said.

Weather in the Atlantic region can change quickly, Briggs noted.