A Happy New Year to our loyal reader(s) from the shores of (the now frozen) Santa’s Summer Swimming Pool:
Note that for the hardy, swimming is still possible north of Svalbard, in parts of Hudson Bay and the North Water Polynya.
At the end of 2025 JAXA extent was 2nd lowest for the date, albeit in a “statistical tie” with 2024 and 2017:
NSIDC average extent for December is lowest in the satellite era by a considerable margin:
NSIDC annual average extent for 2025 is also record lowest:
At the end of December PIOMAS volume was still lowest for the date (in the satellite era):
Here’s the associated sea ice thickness map:
What’s more the PIOMAS monthly average volume for December is lowest in the record going back to 1979:
So is the annual average for 2025:
Watch this space!
New Piomas figures at Polar Python, Jim
Of the top 10 lowest, note 8 fell in the preceding 10 years
I like this (general) comment from user ‘subgeometer’ today:
> Given the lags in the climate system I find it hard to imagine that the sea ice won’t melt out in the next few decades sometime. (EDIT: Atmospheric and SSTs will continue to warm under the extra insulation) The ice is more mobile now, and disperses in the melt season, so the minimum record hasn’t been broken since 2012. But any year the weather could first open large areas of water to warm in May, like the Beaufort does some years, and then the ice could go pouffe after sustained clear skies and high pressure, as well as being dispersed into already open areas with warmish SSTs. I wouldn’t read too much into the apparent lag in minimum extents since 2012, the blue water event could happen any year if the weather ducks line up. The increasing variability of minima I see as being like bifurcation in a chaotic system
“So is the annual average for 2025:”
We did it, Jim!
Opening champagne stored from 2017 now
Global sea ice is also lowest volume on record.