For the first time in nearly a decade, the leading edge of sea ice that makes navigation difficult has reached St. Paul Island. The last time it was that far south this early was February 2013.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - For the first time in nearly a decade, the leading edge of sea ice that makes navigation difficult has reached St. Paul Island. The last time this occurred this early was February 2013.
“As far as sea ice extent, for this point compared to climatology, or compared to the past few decades, the sea ice extent is a little bit greater than normal this spring,” she said. “So, we started out this fall with colder than normal sea surface temperatures,” she said. “Of course a colder ocean is going to promote more sea ice growth.”
The extent of the ice also makes it challenging in timing when barges might be able to transport supplies and goods into coastal and inland river villages.