© CISThis map from the Canadian Ice Service shows sea ice conditions in the western part of High Arctic islands on Sept. 4. The dark blue shows a low concentration (less than 10 per cent) of ice, while white shows a high concentration (100 per cent). At this time of the year, the Arctic ice cover is the highest it has been since 2014, the National Snow and Ice Data Center said Sept. 5. That's although the minimum ice extent is expected to be one of the 10 lowest in the satellite record, the NSIDC said.
, from Kugluktuk to Qikiqtarjuaq, after a summer that also brought cool temperatures and heavy ice conditions to some parts of Nunavut.
So, if you were planning on snorkelling through the Northwest Passage, as one group plans to do in 2020, or taking a cruise ship through the storied Northwest Passage, this year might not have been a good choice.
"if you're trying to get somewhere, and ice is in the way, it's been a very bad year," said Gilles Langis, a senior ice forecaster with the Canadian Ice Service.
It remains unclear if ice played a role in the
grounding of the Ioffe Akademik on Aug. 24. The cruise ship was not sailing where it was supposed to be due to ice, according to an account by the journalist and author Ed Struzik, who was on board.
Comment: Parts of British Columbia are already seeing snow