Graph shows sea ice levels over the last 10 years (since 2002)

As we begin to approach the cooler seasons of fall and winter, many eyes will turn to the development of snow  cover over the Northern Hemisphere. Snow cover monitors are available for free on various weather sources on the internet. Initially, snow cover was struggling in comparison to normals and averages. However, over the last several days we have seen a drastic recovery in snow cover near the poles. That being said, another one of the major indicators of the atmospheric response to the changing seasons which we use in meteorology is the extent of sea ice. The sea ice coverage on our side of the pole tells us how the atmosphere is responding, and where we stand compared to the last 10 or so years of data collection. You will typically see the sea ice spreads widen around this time of year (autumn) as the atmosphere begins to transition. Historical data remains more tightly clustered in the warm and cold seasons (summer and winter). Currently, sea ice levels are the second lowest they have been over the last 10 years of data. The low for the period came in 2007, when the sea ice extent levels dropped to near 4 (extremely low). However, since then, 2008-2010 was a generally normal period.  This year, we're dangerously close to the lowest of the past 10 years.

Some recovery over the past several days suggests that we will not be off to as poor of a start as the 2007 season, which at this point had much less sea ice. Typically, after this time of year, historical average curves only increase sea ice extent. We'll certainly be watching over the next several weeks as we collect data throughout the fall season to help us get an idea as to what the winter may have to offer.

Article written by John Homenuk, September 19th, 2011 at 10:25pm. Looking for a forecast? See New York Metro Weather's Long Range Forecast for current work week, or view our Technical Forecast Discussion for the more serious weather enthusiasts. Also, check out our new Forecast Overview tab. For up to the minute details on forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.