Ice conditions
Simplified ice chart and reference charts
FINNISH ICE REPORT 27.05.2022
The ice is slowly drifting southward and melting.
In the Bay of Bothnia between Välikivikko and Hailuoto, in places single floes of rotten ice. Between Raahe lighthouse and Nahkiainen, 10-30 cm thick close and very close ice. The ice field is melting, but thick floebits occur in places. In the archipelago, open water.
Icebreakers: Otso assists in the Bay of Bothnia.
Assistance restrictions: Minimum ice class and deadweight required of assisted vessels:
Raahe, II of more than 2000 tons.
Vessels bound for Gulf of Bothnia ports in which assistance restrictions apply, shall when passing latitude 60° 00' N report their nationality, name, destination, ETA and speed to ICE INFO on VHF channel 78. This report can also be given directly by telephone to +46 10 492 7600.
Vessels bound for Finnish or Swedish ports with assistance restrictions in the Quark or the Bay of Bothnia shall, 20 nautical miles before Nordvalen Lighthouse (63° 32,15' N 20° 46,60' E), report in accordance with the instructions for winter navigation to Bothnia VTS on VHF channel 67.
The next ice report will be published on Monday 30th May.
About the charts
The ice chart of the whole Baltic Sea (pdf) is published in the autumn twice a week (Monday and Thursday) and daily when the amount of ice increases until ice break-up in spring. It represents current ice situation, ice breaker positions and assistance restrictions in the Baltic Sea.
The simplified charts are updated once a week at the latest on Tuesday morning. The first one represents measured level ice thicknesses, ice coverage and sea surface temperature. The reference charts represent average, 1965 – 1986, ice situation on that day (= normaali), last week´s situation, last year´s situation and the positions of the ice breakers.
Products are generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Explanation of chart's Finnish words
jäätä: ice
vettä: water
haurasta: rotten ice
Ice extent
Daily ice extent on the Baltic Sea (km²). The blue envelope curves show the largest and smallest ice extents (min–max) and fractiles (25 %–75 %) of the ice seasons 2007–2020. The green line (50 %) is the median extent of the seasons 2007–2020. The black dotted line is the previous ice season's (2020–2021) ice extent, and the solid black line is the current ice season's (2021–2022) extent.
The values are rounded so that areas less than 100 km² are with one significant digit, 100–1000 km² areas are with two significant digits and larger areas with three significant digits.