This maps shows Antarctic sea ice concentration on December 1, 2021. Frozen in the Northern Sea Routeįigure 5. While the lack of ice in Hudson Bay at this time of year is extreme, the bay will eventually freeze over through the coming winter.

The lack of ice has potential ramifications for polar bears in the region that must wait for the bay to freeze over to hunt. It also shows ice only in the far north of the region and along the western coast. The USNIC/NSIDC Multisensor Analyzed Sea Ice Extent ( MASIE) product provides a more detailed view (Figure 4). According to the NSIDC Sea Ice Index, this is the second lowest extent in Hudson Bay at this time, above only 2010. However, as of the end of November 2021, only the far north has frozen over the rest of the bay is ice free except for a narrow band of ice along the western coastline. By the end of the month, the northern half of the bay is usually completely iced over. Typically, Hudson Bay begins freezing up by the beginning of November. The US National Ice Center/NSIDC Multisensor Analyzed Sea Ice Extent (MASIE) product provides the data for this map.Ĭredit: US National Ice Center and National Snow and Ice Data Center This map of Hudson Bay shows sea ice extent as of November 30, 2021. November 2021 compared to previous yearsįigure 4.

This pattern was favorable for sea ice growth, and can explain the above average ice extent in the region. Strong low pressure over the Gulf of Alaska resulted in a circulation pattern in the eastern Bering Sea that brought cold air from the north. The sea level pressure pattern for November featured widespread low pressure over the Atlantic side of the Arctic and extending into the Barents and Kara Seas, paired with a moderately strong Beaufort Sea High (Figure 2c). Conversely, temperatures over southwest Alaska and the eastern sector of the Bering Sea were as much as 6 degrees Celsius (11 degrees Fahrenheit) below average (Figure 2b). Yellows and reds indicate high air pressure blues and purples indicate low pressure.Ĭredit: NSIDC courtesy NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory Physical Sciences LaboratoryĪir temperatures at the 925 millibar level (about 2,500 feet above the surface) were well above average north of the Canadian Archipelago, by as much as 6 degrees Celsius (11 degrees Fahrenheit). This plot shows average sea level pressure in the Arctic in millibars for November 2021.

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