)
)
)
)
In the North, the Arctic air mass dominates; in the South, temperate maritime air. Cyclones and anticyclones often form on the border of these two main airstreams, influencing the Barents Sea’s weather. In winter, the weather over the sea is changeable, with strong winds up to force 7-8 and heavy showers. The coldest month is March, when the temperature can be anywhere from -29 to -4°C, depending on the location. In summer, a persistent anticyclone forms over the sea. The average temperature during the warmest months (July-August) is +4 to +6°C in the North, and up to +10°C in the West and central parts. On sunny days, the temperature can reach up to 20 to 25°C.
The North Cape branch of the North Atlantic current flows into the Barents Sea. The water temperature varies from +8 to +12°C in summer and from +3 to +4°C in winter. Thanks to the warm North Cape current, the Barents Sea is one of the warmest seas of the Arctic Ocean; its surface temperature up to 75° North stays above 0°C all year round. In summer, the water and air temperatures are almost equal, at +8 to 12°C in the South and +3 to + 5°C in the centre. In the North, the water temperature falls to minus levels. The temperature change varies with the depth differently in different areas. In the Southwest, the area most influenced by Atlantic waters, the temperature up to 40-60 m is constant, or falls fractionally with the depth. At depths of over 80 m, the temperature drops sharply to -1 to +1°C.
The Barents Sea has regular semidiurnal tides caused mainly by the Atlantic tidal wave.
The tidal currents along the Murmansk coast and at the entrance to the White Sea are typically very fast.
