Leads in Ice After Warm Storm

Observation by Nick Treinen

Observed 2 intersecting leads on 2/12/2019 about 3/4 mile off West Beach in Nome. One was about 1m wide and the other about 10m wide, both filled with slush. This is generally an area of stable shorefast ice.

The leads separate many crabbers from their pots, and are illustrative of how Norton Sound's recent erratic sea ice patterns are altering subsistence opportunities and patterns. The leads appeared at the tail end of a large and very warm storm.

Olivia Lee, Research Assistant Professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, writes:

The northwest Alaska Arctic this year is not showing anomalously low ice conditions this winter. This is a good break in the trend after 4 sequential years of unprecedented low winter and spring sea ice (Sea Ice Prediction Network 2). However, despite a return to more normal sea ice concentrations, there appears to be little evidence of greater stable shorefast ice, and strong winds and currents can continue to influence movement of coastal shorefast ice, as observed by Nick Treinen in Nome. Similarly, farther north in Utqiagvik and Point Thompson on there has been movement of shorefast ice influenced by strong winds (see February 15 posts from the Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub. These community observations continue to provide valuable information about how coastal sea ice in some areas have not returned to expected stable winter conditions despite a return to more normal trends in sea ice extent and concentration.

Comments from LEO Editors:

LEO has recently received several observations of unusual conditions following a period of warm winter weather. We received an observation from Shishmaref of open water following strong south winds. Ice that would normally be thick enough to travel on is unsafe. We were also notified of unusual mid-winter flooding in Kotlik. Floodwaters covered parts of the community and entered some homes. Erica Lujan