Using available atmospheric pressure and ocean current data and estimating non-local stress transferral through the ice cover by employing a viscous drift model in the infinite boundary limit, predicted drift rates for one Russian and two U.S. drifting stations are made over the time period May 1962 to April 1964. The viscosity values giving the best fit between observed and predicted values show a pronounced winter increase that correlates well with the ice growth rate. Physically this suggests that ice drift rates (for a given wind field) tend to decrease in winter because of increased stress transferral through the ice cover. An empirical linear relationship between viscosity and ice growth rate is derived which yields predictions in reasonable agreement with both long (yearly) and short term (monthly) observed drift rates.