The Coast Guard International Ice Patrol announced it has commenced operations for the 2019 ice season as of Feb. 5, 2019 and will resume production of the North American Ice Service (NAIS) daily iceberg warning products from its operations center in New London, Connecticut.

The International Ice Patrol generates the iceberg warnings from February through August, when icebergs pose the greatest threat to transatlantic shipping. The Canadian Ice Service generates the iceberg warning products for the remainder of the year. The Iceberg Limit is published in a daily bulletin (NAIS-10) and graphical chart (NAIS-65) and distributed through a variety of methods including radio broadcasts and the internet. Additionally, the Canadian Ice Service will continue their traditional distribution mechanisms.

The NAIS iceberg bulletin and chart advise mariners of the iceberg extent in the vicinity of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Canada, along the Labrador Coast, and the southern end of Greenland, providing both an Iceberg Limit and an iceberg density distribution within the limit. Reports of ice in this area originate from various sources, including passing ships, satellite imagery, and reconnaissance flights. New for 2019, the estimated limit around Greenland will be updated bi-weekly from satellite imagery analyzed by the Danish Meteorological Institute; previously it was updated monthly based upon 30-year climatological averages. Additionally, the use of satellite imagery to detect and identify icebergs will continue to increase around Newfoundland, though aerial reconnaissance will remain the primary method for detection and identification.

For full details, view the International Ice Patrol announcement or visit their products page on the Coast Guard Navigation Center’s website.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.