Why Arctic convoys challenged escort carriers

Did icing help explain why escort carriers were uncommon on Arctic convoys?

Yes; icing, frozen machinery, lack of deck storage, poor flying conditions, and violent ship motion all made small-carrier operations difficult.

Arctic icing prevented deck storage of aircraft and could freeze carrier lifts. Poor flying conditions compounded the difficulty, especially in the colder winter months. Large carriers already pitched and rolled heavily on Arctic routes, making operations from smaller, less stable escort carriers especially difficult. Fleet carriers could cover part of the route before Soviet land-based aircraft were expected to take over, although that handoff did not always work as intended.