Image caption
Each line on this graph shows the daily sea ice extent across the Arctic Ocean and surrounding seas for each year since 1979. Extent means “the total ocean area that is at least 15% ice covered” based on satellite data. Years are color-coded by decade: earlier years are lighter blue, and more recent years are darker blue. The line for 2025 to date, which sits lowest in the stack, is bright pink. The line for 2017 (the previous record-low winter extent) is a darker shade of pink. NOAA Climate.gov map, based on data from National Snow and Ice Data Center.