Arctic sea ice at historic winter low
For the second consecutive year, winter sea ice in the Arctic reached the lowest level recorded since satellite monitoring began in 1979. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the world
ARCTIC SEA ICE EXTENT
Area in which ice concentration ≥ 15%
Sea of  Okhotsk
Low ice concentration
Median ice extent 1981-201
Mar 2026
2026 14.29m sq km
1981-2010 average 15.65m sq km
North Pole
ARCTIC CIRCLE
CANADA
DENMARK
Greenland
NORWAY
U.S.
Alaska
RUSSIA
Barents Sea
Thinner ice this year
ANNUAL SEA ICE EXTENT 1979-2026
Million sq km
15
10
5
0
2026: 14.29m sq km
2012: Record summer minimum 3.39m sq km
WINTER
SUMMER
JFMAMJJASOND
Sources: National Snow and Ice Data Centre, NASA
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