At the beginning of November JAXA/ViSHOP extent is in a “statistical tie” with 2012 for 6th lowest for the date in the satellite era:
In the continuing absence of the Alfred Wegener Institute’s Arctic sea ice concentration map, here once again is the AMSR3 based map from the University of Bremen:
Here too is the University of Bremen’s latest SMOS/SMAP “thin ice thickness” map:
Watch this space!