The total area of the Arctic Ocean that was at least 15% ice covered each September (summer minimum) from 1979–2026. The last 20 September extents (2007-2026) are the 20 lowest on record. Data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).
Sea ice concentration for September 2026, compared to the 1981-2010 median extent for that month (gold line). It was tied for the tenth smallest summer minimum on record. Map by Climate.us, based on data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).