Neven wrote It seems I've been wrong about this... You weren't, not even in the least. As this "NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory" is a just a giocattolo enabling you to alter reality according to your own taste. Remember, as it's name says, it's a laboratory. Just to remind, end 2013 it was clear about all glaciers in the Northern hemisphere gained some lenght as well as some thickness. And in 2014 there was a general status quo or just a little bit of loss. Whereas now, in 2017 glaciers are shrinking at record speed. Do have a look at the Rhone Glacier, Trift Glacier, Stubai glacier, Grossglockner, Mer de Glace, Schnalstall ecc... ecc... ecc. An not only in Europe, but all over the Northern hemisphere. And while I'm intruding, I'll take the liberty to put a bold prediction: this year there will be a straight free corridor from Murmansk to the Bering Strait. With at worst no ice between this corridor an the Russian coasts.

Wayne wrote: ...14.5 km2 at start of season is quite nice better than compared to 13.8. There are huge ice albedo consideration... It's absolutely unclear what you are talking about. OTOH, it looks absolutely clear you aren't aware of both the NSIDC and ADS-NIPR standards, and the differences between them. Thus, to sum up: - ADS-NIPR, as well as UNI-Bremen are publishing a two days mean based on data given by AMSR2. - NSIDC is publishing a five days mean based on data given by a bunch of satellites, including AMSR2. Bottom line, you only can compare ADS-NIPR to ADS-NIPR. And NSIDC only to NSIDC. To compare NSIDC to ADS-NIPR would be a clamorous mathematical and scientific error. About Cryosphere, it's absolutely clear that with Trumpyboy firmly in seat there won't be any additional funding anymore. So, as Neven has put it rightly, instead of letting floating around erroneous data, the should have brought the honor to themselves by closing officially the project as wel as it's website.

Century followed by a near-century: 13.705.959-13.607.502 means minus 98.457 km2. Remember, according to ADS-NIPR standards. We aren't already in Summer, are we? Or do I have it wrong?

Second century [already!!] this year at ADS-NIPR: 13,818,067-13,705,959 means minus 112.108 km2. 2017 again at record lowest level, and bottom line as last year, it is as bad as it looks like.

Elisee Reclus wrote: On the other hand, in winter, the ice must help insulate the warm water below, preventing heat from escaping. You do have it wrong here. To correct, replace "ice" by "snow". Snow is a mixture of much air and tiny little ice granulates, hence a rather good insulator, due to the incorporated air. As an example, for the "ice hotels" (Canada, Finland, Sweden) on the river(s) there is a day-to-day and thorough snow scrape off, in order to obtain thick and very dense solid ice (= less of air present). Where the snow hasn't been scraped off, the ice has at least 1 meter less of thickness, end of February. Now, this winter so far the Arctic almost everywhere has been struck by intense snow flurries. Thus together with the extremely high temperatures we are alas heading right to an Arctic catastrophe.

Jim Hunt wrote: Nobody noticed! Apparently nobody noticed too sea ice extent is shrinking again for two days in row: ADS Japan sea ice extent

Michael Sweet asked: How much longer will it go lower? Quite a bit, alas. Do Check Reanalyzer --> Arctic --> Precipitation and clouds. You'll see from the 9th september on there will be a severe attack from the Atlantic side. Very strong warm winds and huge rainfall from Fram strait till deep into the Arctic, winds even reaching Wrangle Island ...

Wayne wrote: We have 21st century super fast evidence ... Another evidence, shelves 'en masse' are pushed (again) towards the Barrow coast line, to be dissolved there (surprisingly) rather quickly. Anyway, looks like major events are in the pipe line in the Beaufort and Canadian Archipelago zone, as well as the Laptev Sea.

Short a notice, the 1st of the month Arctic Parade has been updated, images now come with a much higher resolution making it more comfortable to compare. Well, hoping this will be visible to anyone ...

Not that bright a news from the Obuoy front, only Obuoy 14 appears to be fully functional. All others are out, even Obuoy 13 which gave in at the 29th of April. Anyway, Obuoy 14 mounts the border of the Beaufort Sea and the Central Arctic [very North of Barrow], so it's quite interesting to see what happens there. And what we see for now is the ice has been rounded off, probably mainly caused by evaporation. Looks like there won't be other webcams available in the Artic, due to financial restrictions. But as we never paid not even a penny for, we can't complain, can we?

Third century this year (and the second this month) at ADS-Japan, minus 117.326 km2. And hitherto there have been this May three near centuries too. So the Arctic is exposed now already to a decay which usually only takes place end of Juin --> early July. Bottom line, and as it already had been told in February, it is as bad as it looks like.

Already a second century this year at ADS-NPR. Minus 130.413 km2. Meanwhile 2006 remains the second worst. For now, of course.

Finally breackup at Nome. Dispite the high temperatures there it took rather long ...

Undoubtly due to global warming and an over heated winter in Canada & Alaska: The 80.000 inhabitants of Fort McMurray [province of Alberta - Canada] had to be evacuated .

Back again! The polinia in front of Barrow is back, and even bigger as before. And confirmed by the looks of the UNI-Bremen chart. Albeit polinia do have strange habitudes, it never happened there at this time of the year (February --> early May) since Arctic monitoring began. Indicating the coastal ice is utterly thin and fragile indeed.

Could we believe that, this year's first century on NIPR_jaxa at the 30th of March: 13697343-13560921=136422 km2 minus !?

For a few days it looked like the big polinea in front of Barrow would have been closed, but on the contrary, it has grown quite a lot. Rather puzzling considering the temperature there hovers between -16 ºC and -23 ºC. Of course, the sun now at noon stands high enough to warm up open water, but than can be only partial an explanation...

As an hors-d'oeuvre at the coming melt season, enjoy the large polinia in front of Barrow. Also clearly detectable at the Uni-Bremen chart.

Neven wrote JAXA didn't report today. Neither did NSIDC (for what is the day before yesterday now). Likely rather some communication problem. Meanwhile, for that day before yesterday [25th], JAXA registered 13,88 millions km2 (a big uptick), and for yesterday [26th] 13,86 km2, a small 'downtick'.

Neven asked: I wonder what caused the 150K uptick. The 'uptick' is quasi enterely due to the gain in the Sea of Ochotsk. Meaning the Central Arctic and it's surrounding remain in as bad a state as before yesterday. Open water is even reaching Vize Island in the Barentz-Kara zone. Go figure ...

And again a downtick at ADS - Japan, this time -64608 km2, thus over a century in two days. If it would continue like that, the max extennt for 2016 already could have been reached ... oh boy, it's as bad as it looks like....

Yet another downtick at ADS-Japan, and again an important one [-55205 km2]. So it could be the max extent already is in the loop, all the more as according to Reanalyzer Org the Arctic will remain 'overheated' for at least one more week. It's beginning to look very bad ...

Rob Dekker wrote: Seems like things are getting back to normal in the Arctic ... Nevertheless, a tiny downtick (minus 10.000 square km2) yesterday at ADS Japan. And according to Reanalyzer.org indeed there could be some cooling down in the Bering Sea and Chucksi Sea zones, but from the 8th of februari the 'heating up' would restart again. Thus, as 2006 in this period began a steep climb up, it looks very much 2016 will keep firmly it's bottom position till the point of return ...

Rob Dekker asked: Did that ever happen before ? Yes, it did. Do compare: 1st of January parade and 1st of February parade And do keep in mind the UNI-Bremen charts are reducing any concentration below 15 % to 0 %. Meaning to sail or to kayak in such a -15 % environment could be a very tricky business. :-)

Killed two birds with one stone yesterday at ADS-Japan. A small downtick [minus 8488 km2], and 2016 again in bottom position. Looks like the situation will remain like that for at least a week as according to Reanalyzer.org the Arctic will remain "overheated" for at least a week. Moreover, we are at less of a month from the 25th of February, the date at which in 2015 occured the maximum extent [accrding to NSIDC.