News & Stories
Across the globe, snow and ice play a vital role in regulating Earth’s climate and providing freshwater resources to people, plants, and animals.
As Earth’s frozen regions change rapidly, NSIDC is committed to growing its research and open access data to better understand these changes. Read about NSIDC research and its contribution to science and policy making. Check out spotlights on how to use NSIDC data, tools, and resources. Learn about how we steward data and collaborate with scientists and organizations across the world to understand how the frozen parts of Earth affect the rest of the planet and impact society.
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Analysis - Sea Ice Today
May sea ice extent in the Arctic averaged 12.56 million square kilometers (4.85 million square miles), tying with 2004 for seventh lowest on the 47-year satellite record. Antarctic sea ice extent for May was fifth lowest in the satellite record, but below average growth through the month resulted in the daily ice extent moving away from the 1981 to 2010 average.
News Release
CIRES and NSIDC scientist Mark Seefeldt will travel to Norway in 2026 as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar to advance research on Arctic temperature extremes.
Ask a Scientist
A record-high or record-low extent is noteworthy, but an isolated value, even an extreme one, says less about what is happening with sea ice than a decades-long time series. By assessing daily values in both the Arctic and Antarctic, NSIDC sees the big picture.
Ask a Scientist
Much like a conveyer belt, an atmospheric river transports moisture from the tropical and subtropical oceans and dumps it as rain or snow in cooler regions. Why are we hearing so much recently about them? Are they increasing? If so, how?
Analysis - Snow Today
Snow cover dropped in most of the US West during April, but still led to average snow cover overall, ranking twelfth in the 25-year satellite record. Snow water equivalent (SWE) decreased in every state in the western United States, with coastal states showing the largest decreases at individual stations.
Analysis - Sea Ice Today
Arctic sea ice extent through most of April changed very little. Only at the end of the month did extent begin to decline. Because the month started with unusually low extent, however, the average extent for April ended up tied for ninth lowest in the satellite record. The situation in the Antarctic remained fickle. Extent at the end of the month was tracking near the levels recorded for 2024, but well above the record low in 2023.