The rate of sea ice loss for April 2023 was slow, owing to cool conditions across the ice-covered Arctic Ocean and below-average to near-average temperatures near the ice edge. Antarctic sea ice extent remained sharply below average throughout the month. Overview of conditions Figure 1a. Arctic sea ice extent for April 2023 was 13.99 million square kilometers (5.40 million square miles. The magenta line shows the 1981 to 2010 average extent for that month. Sea Ice Index data. About the data Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center High-resolution image Figure 1b. The graph above show ..read more

Sunlight has returned to the highest latitudes in the Arctic, while in the Antarctic autumn is settling in. The seasonal decline of Arctic sea ice extent since the March 6 annual maximum has been slow, but daily extent has remained among the third to sixth lowest in the satellite record. Since the seasonal minimum reached on February 21, Antarctic sea ice has expanded at a fairly typical pace. Overview of conditions Figure 1. Arctic sea ice extent for March 2023 was 14.44 million square kilometers (5.58 million square miles). The magenta line shows the 1981 to 2010 average exte ..read more

Arctic sea ice has likely reached its maximum extent for the year, at 14.62 million square kilometers (5.64 million square miles) on March 6. The 2023 maximum is the fifth lowest in the 45-year satellite record. NSIDC scientists will present a detailed analysis of the 2022 to 2023 winter sea ice conditions in the regular monthly post in early April. Overview of conditions Figure 1. This image shows Arctic sea ice extent on March 7, 2023, which was 14.62 million square kilometers (5.64 million square miles) like the extent on March 6, 2023. The March 7 image ..read more

Throughout February, Arctic sea ice extent tracked between second and fourth lowest in the satellite record while Antarctic sea ice extent tracked at record low extents. Antarctic sea ice has hit its minimum extent for the year, setting a new record low, and is now expanding. Overview of conditions Figure 1a. Arctic sea ice extent for February 2023 was 14.18 million square kilometers (5.47 million square miles). The magenta line shows the 1981 to 2010 average extent for that month. Sea Ice Index data. About the data Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center High-resolution image Figure 1b ..read more

On February 21, Antarctic sea ice likely reached its annual minimum extent of 1.79 million square kilometers (691,000 square miles). This the lowest sea ice extent in the 1979 to 2023 sea ice record, setting a record low for the second straight year. Please note that this is a preliminary announcement. Changing winds or late-season melt could still reduce the Antarctic ice extent. NSIDC scientists will release a full analysis of the Antarctic and Arctic February conditions in early March. Overview of conditions Figure 1. Arctic sea ice extent for February 21, 2023 was 1.79 million square ..read more

Antarctic sea ice extent appears to have broken the record low set last year. With a couple more weeks likely left in the melt season, the extent is expected to drop further before reaching its annual minimum. Much of the Antarctic coast is ice free, exposing the ice shelves that fringe the ice sheet to wave action and warmer conditions. Overview of conditions Figure 1a. This map of Antarctica shows many low areas of sea ice concentration, depicted as darker blues, surrounding the continent, rendering extent likely to decrease in the coming days or weeks. Antarctic sea ice extent for Feb ..read more

Arctic sea ice extent rose at a slower than average rate through January, and continued to be below the lower interdecile range. By the end of the month, sea ice reached the second lowest extent in the satellite record. Meanwhile, Antarctic extent remained at record low levels. Combined, the two hemispheres set a record low for total global sea ice extent, yet this does not signify a trend necessarily and may be caused by weather-related variability. Overview of conditions Figure 1a. Arctic sea ice extent for January 2023 was 13.35 million square kilometers (5.15 mill ..read more

Daily extent of Arctic sea ice for December 2022 remained well below average for the entire month; at the end of the month, extent stood at fourth lowest in the satellite record. The average extent for the month ended up as seventh lowest in the satellite record. Antarctic extent is declining much faster than average as austral summer takes hold and is setting record low daily ice extents for the satellite era as of December 22. As such, global sea ice extent is well below average. Overview of conditions Figure 1a. Arctic sea ice extent for December 2022 was 11.92 million square kil ..read more

November’s rate of sea ice growth in the Arctic was near average. Several of the peripheral seas have open water areas late into the autumn season. Warm air temperatures persist in the northern North Atlantic and northwestern Europe. In Antarctica, sea ice extent is low, and persistent low air pressure in the Amundsen Sea has created a somewhat unusual sea ice distribution. Overview of conditions Figure 1. Arctic sea ice extent for November 2022 was 9.71 million square kilometers (3.75 million square miles). The magenta line shows the 1981 to 2010 average extent for that month. Sea ..read more

As October drew to a close, freezing progressed rapidly in the Laptev Sea. In the Antarctic, where spring is slowly unfolding, overall ice extent is low, with patterns suggesting a strong persistent low atmospheric pressure in the Amundsen Sea. Overview of conditions Figure 1a. Arctic sea ice extent for October 2022 was 6.61 million square kilometers (2.55 million square miles). The magenta line shows the 1981 to 2010 average extent for that month. Sea Ice Index data. About the data Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center High-resolution image Figure 1b. The graph above shows Arctic sea ..read more