It’s been a winter for the books in the Arctic. Capping off a season of sustained, mind-boggling warm weather and stunted sea ice growth, the annual Arctic sea ice maximum hit its lowest level ever recorded. That marks the second straight year that the winter maximum ice extent set a record low. “I’ve never seen such a warm, crazy winter in the
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The annual maximum sea ice extent in the Arctic Ocean usually occurs in middle to late March. But last year that maximum came in late February, and there are signs the peak may come early again this year, suggesting a shorter winter in a warming Arctic. Given the planet just had its hottest calendar year on record, followed by one of the Arctic’s
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The Arctic seems to be a never-ending source of dismal climate news, particularly when it pertains to sea ice. Let’s recap. Sea ice extent has set monthly record lows this winter (after setting a seasonal record low just last winter). In general, its extent is shrinking across all seasons. But what’s even worse news is the character of sea ice is
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February sure was a scorcher! That what not only has impacts on Arctic sea ice, but it can also take a toll on Arctic permafrost. Climate Central’s Multimedia Journalism Fellow, Greta Shum, takes a look at a new study that examines the effect of projected snowfall levels on melting permafrost.
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The calendar may have turned to 2016, but temperatures are picking up where 2015 left off. January was record warm, according to data released this week by NASA. You may recall that last year was the hottest on record for the globe. And by NASA’s accounting, it ended with a bang. This past December was the warmest December on record and the most
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The Arctic faces weirdly warm weather (by Arctic winter standards anyways) to close out the year thanks to a strong storm tearing across the North Atlantic. It won’t quite be Key West, but temperatures will be 50°-60°F above normal at the North Pole on Wednesday. That translates to highs reaching freezing — and even slightly above it — making it
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NOAA released its Arctic Report Card this week, and guess what else was released! Check out this week's Shum Show for the scoop, with Climate Central's Multimedia Journalism Fellow Greta Shum.
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The Arctic has just received its yearly checkup from a group of international scientists, and the patient isn’t looking well. The region continues to be one of the fastest warming on the planet — from October 2014 to September 2015 it had the warmest average temperature on record going back to 1900 as the planet heads toward its
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Sizzling August numbers, flash floods in Utah and Arizona, and 2015's annual Arctic sea ice minimum... Catch up on the past week in weather and climate with Climate Central's Greta Shum.
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While extent is a traditional measure of sea ice, volume is also important. The lowest volume estimated this year was less than 36 percent of the 1979 minimum. Even though the annual minimum usually happens in mid-September, ice had already reached its 5th-lowest annual volume on record at the end August. Climate models suggest that by the end of
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Arctic sea ice has reached its minimum for the year. What does that mean for those of us not at the North Pole?
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The shell of ice that covers the Arctic Ocean is nearing its yearly low point, and projections suggest that it will be among the four lowest summer minimums on record. If melt rates are speedy enough, there’s a small chance it could even take the number two spot, forecasters said Wednesday, as the ice continues its decades-long, warming-driven
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