Weather
Following research into the prevailing wind and snow conditions likely to be found on the Greenland Icecap, the team chose April and May to undertake the expedition. Met data from US DYE radar stations that were located on the icecap during the Cold War suggests the following temperatures for April:
- Mean daily maximum temperature of -14°C.
- Mean daily minimum temperature of -27°C.
- Extreme minimum temperature of -42°C.
Whilst the temperatures in April and May are ~10°C colder than later in the summer, the number of open crevasses, melt pools and melt water channels are fewer and therefore easier to negotiate. In addition, May was found to have the best prevailing wind conditions for a westbound crossing during the summer.
During the expedition Marc De Keyser kindly provided the team with up to date weather forecast information that was specific to their location on the icecap. This enabled the team to travel efficiently by using the best winds that were likely to be available.
