Arctic sea ice tied its smallest winter extent amid global March heat records

Arctic sea ice this winter tied the smallest measured winter peak at about 5.52 million square miles, and unusually warm March temperatures were reported across many regions.

Arctic sea ice tied its smallest measured winter peak this season, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. The reported peak extent was 5.52 million square miles, nearly the same as last year. Scientists described the figure as part of a longer-term pattern of winter decline in Arctic ice. At the same time, unusually warm March temperatures were recorded across many parts of the world. Key facts: - The winter maximum was measured at about 5.52 million square miles, which the data center considers a tie with last year's 5.53 million square miles. - That peak was roughly 525,000 square miles below the 1981–2010 winter average, a difference about twice the size of Texas. - The tie in winter extent was reported alongside widespread March heat records across multiple regions, as noted by climatologists and weather historians. Summary: Researchers described the tied winter maximum as consistent with a steady decline in Arctic winter ice linked to warming, and they noted that starting the melt season from a lower maximum can affect the summer melt. Undetermined at this time.