AccuWeather.com

All large passenger ferries and cargo ships have been freed from the immensely thick ice off the Swedish coast, with colder-than-average temperatures and gale-force wind gusts primarily to blame.

AccuWeather.com meteorologists said the thicker-than-normal ice came as a result of strong winds coming from the north that pushed widespread ice farther south than usual on the Baltic Sea.

The same weather system that affected southern France with flooding and hurricane-force winds Sunday and into Monday also affected Sweden.

The high winds from this storm made the ice pack even stronger and harder for icebreakers to free ships. The cold temperatures also made the ice trickier to break.

Winds are still gusty this morning, but certainly not as strong as yesterday. The most recent buoy data as of 7 p.m. in Sweden noted wind speeds of 31 mph.

AccuWeather.com meteorologists expect winds to become calm off the coast by Friday evening, with temperature still very cold through the weekend.

Winds are set to shift to a more southerly flow Sunday, and temperatures will become much milder Monday through midweek, with the thermometer above freezing.

Ships were first reported stuck during the early afternoon hours Thursday. Buoys off the coast of Sweden revealed sustained wind speeds of up to 38 mph around 1 p.m. local time.

Several passenger ship were carrying more than 1,000 people.

Ice is common in the Baltic Sea during winter, but ice of the thickness that has trapped this many ships is unheard of.

Passenger ships are usually large and powerful enough to prevent them from getting caught in any ice buildup.

The Swedish Maritime Administration reported that the ships had ignored warnings about icy conditions.