Arctic Ice Melting 4 Days Faster Mid-July 2025

After a sub-par March maximum, by end of May 2025 Arctic ice closed the gap with the 19-year average. Then in June the gap reopened and in July the melting pace matched the average, abeit four days in advance of average.

During this period the average year loses ~2.5M km2 of ice extent. MASIE on day 166 was ~300k km2 down, and the gap increased to almost 550k km2 by June 30 (day 181). The deficit to average then reduced to ~350k km2, which persisted over the last 12 years including yesterday, day 196. The graph shows MASIE 2025 matching the average on day 192, four days in advance.

The regional distribution of ice extents is shown in the table below. (Bering and Okhotsk seas are excluded since both are now virtually open water.)

Region	2025196	Day 196	2025-Ave.	2020196	2025-2020
(0) Northern_Hemisphere	8007061	8358377	-351316	7556873	450188
(1) Beaufort_Sea	1022304	866531	155773	931056	91248
(2) Chukchi_Sea	718615	643869	74745	612932	105683
(3) East_Siberian_Sea	976061	921340	54721	659117	316945
(4) Laptev_Sea	645741	559270	86471	174286	471454
(5) Kara_Sea	153545	360645	-207100	159679	-6134
(6) Barents_Sea	14342	56080	-41738	39446	-25105
(7) Greenland_Sea	387402	402761	-15359	400498	-13096
(8) Baffin_Bay_Gulf_of_St._Lawrence	268783	311662	-42878	232167	36616
(9) Canadian_Archipelago	630633	711293	-80660	733866	-103233
(10) Hudson_Bay	155460	349275	-193815	520027	-364567
(11) Central_Arctic	3032353	3171652	-139299	3093040.21	-60687

The table shows the two largest deficits, the Atlantic Kara basin combined with Hudson Bay, exceed the total difference from average. In addition are lower ice extents in Central Arctic and Canadian Archipelago, offset by surpluses in Beaufort Sea and other Eurasian shelf basins. Note that Hudson Bay with 350k km2 average ice extent yesterday will have less than 100k in three weeks.

Why is this important? All the claims of global climate emergency depend on dangerously higher temperatures, lower sea ice, and rising sea levels. The lack of additional warming prior to 2023 El Nino is documented in a post NH and Tropics Lead UAH Temps Lower May 2025.