Arctic sea ice extent appears to have reached its annual maximum on March 22, 2025. This is the lowest maximum in the 47-year satellite record, with previous low maximums occurring in 2017, 2018, 2016, and 2015.
Please note that this is a preliminary announcement. Changing weather or late-season growth could still increase the Arctic sea ice extent. NSIDC scientists will release a full analysis of the 2024 to 2025 Arctic winter sea ice conditions in early April.
Overview of conditions
On March 22, Arctic sea ice likely reached its maximum extent for the year, at 14.33 million square kilometers (5.53 million square miles), the lowest in the 47-year satellite record. This year’s maximum extent is 1.31 million square kilometers (506,000 square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 average maximum of 15.64 million square kilometers (6.04 million square miles) and 80,000 square kilometers (31,000 square miles) below the previous lowest maximum that occurred on March 7, 2017.
This year’s maximum occurred 10 days later than the 1981 to 2010 average date of March 12. The date of the maximum has varied considerably over the years, occurring as early as February 24 in 1987 and 1996 and as late as April 2 in 2010.
Conditions in context
Low sea ice extent persisted around most of the Arctic during the 2024 to 2025 winter season. Notably, the Gulf of St. Lawrence remained virtually ice free and the Sea Okhotsk had substantially lower sea ice extent than average. Only the East Greenland Sea had near-average extent through the winter. The Bering Sea ice extent was low for much of the season, but growth from late February through late March brought the region closer to average conditions and was the primary contributor to the increase of total Arctic sea ice during March. Temperatures were 1 to 2 degrees Celsius (2 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit) above average in the Arctic and the surrounding seas, which likely slowed the rate of ice growth.
Top 10 lowest Arctic sea ice maximum extents
| RANK | YEAR | MAXIMUM SEA ICE EXTENT | DATE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IN MILLIONS OF SQUARE KILOMETERS | IN MILLIONS OF SQUARE MILES | |||
| 1 | 2025 | 14.33 | 5.53 | March 22 |
| 2 | 2017 | 14.41 | 5.56 | March 7 |
| 3 | 2018 | 14.47 | 5.59 | March 17 |
| 4 | 2016 2015 | 14.51 14.52 | 5.60 5.61 | March 23 Feb. 25 |
| 6 | 2023 | 14.62 | 5.64 | March 6 |
| 7 | 2011 2006 | 14.67 14.68 | 5.66 5.67 | March 9 March 12 |
| 9 | 2007 2021 | 14.77 14.78 | 5.70 5.71 | March 12 March 12 |
Values within 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 square miles) are considered tied.