Russian Federal State Institution, the Northern Sea Route Administration (NSRA) has released the official information on the expected ice conditions in the Arctic seas for the first half of navigation season 2014 (June-August).
The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is a historically existing Russian national transportation route, which is situated within a water area adjacent to the northern coast of the Russian Federation, covering the internal sea waters, the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation, including tracks suitable for navigation.
The navigation season for transit passages on NSR starts approximately at the beginning of July and lasts through to the second half of November. There are no specific dates for commencement and completion of navigation; it all depends on particular ice conditions.
Navigation via NSR is carried out in compliance with the Russian legislation, administrative procedures and international agreements of the Russian Federation.
Long-term ice forecasts
[mappress] nsra, March 28, 2014