The ice season 2004-2005 The ice season 2004/2005 was late,
intensively freezing, short and normal in terms of ice extent.
The ice season started as normal in the middle of November but
continued mild and easy during the beginning of the season.
Short cold periods were interrupted by mild and windy weather
until mid –February, in December –January number of intensive
storm events passed over the Baltic which well mixed water
masses. Then a cold period about one month long followed with
rapid ice formation. The largest ice extent – 177,000 km² – was
reached on the 16th of March. The ice winter was, by the extent
of the ice cover, classified as normal. The ice breaking up was
in most waters earlier than normal and the 23rd May the Baltic
Sea was ice free. In all maritime areas, with the exception of
the Bay of Bothnia, winter began noticeably earlier than
average, in the end of November, but most of the thin ice layer
melted due to the mild and windy weather in December - January.
A more extensive ice cover did