Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
At least 3 killed amid historic flash flooding in New Mexico town. Click for the latest Chevron right
‘We will not leave’: 173 still missing in Texas flood zone as death toll hits 111. Read more Chevron right

Columbus, OH

74°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

74°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

Weather Blogs / Global climate change

Record low sea ice extent in both hemispheres for 2016

By Brett Anderson, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

Published Jan 13, 2017 2:59 PM EDT | Updated Jan 13, 2017 2:59 PM EDT

Copied

<strong>In terms of global sea ice extent, 2016 will be noted for the number of monthly low record extents that were set in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions.</strong>

The graphs below show the sea ice extent for selected years. The dashed line in the Arctic graph (top) is the plot of the record low year of 2012. The dashed line in the Antarctic graph (second image below) is the plot of the record high year of 2013.

In the Arctic, record low monthly extents were set in January, February, April, May, June, October and November.

<img src="https://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/climatewx/2017/590x394_01112053_screen-shot-2017-01-11-at-3.53.05-pm.png"/>

In the Antarctic, record low monthly extents were set during November and December of 2016.

<img src="https://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/climatewx/2017/590x420_01112055_screen-shot-2017-01-11-at-3.55.08-pm.png"/>

For the Arctic region, 2016 tied 2007 for the second lowest sea ice extent minimum on record. Records go back to 1979. Again, the record lowest sea ice extent minimum was set in the September of 2012.

The experts at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) state that the summer of 2016 was unusually stormy in the Arctic and that may be the reason that 2016 did not end up lower than 2012 for sea ice extent. When it is stormy, sea ice tends to spread out and the increase in cloudiness tends to favor cooler conditions in the Arctic summer compared to normal.

For the Antarctic region, sea ice extent was near normal for the first half of 2016, according to the NSIDC. However, sea ice extent then trended below normal for the second half of the year with record low extents toward the end of 2016. Changing wind patterns were at least partly responsible for the unusually low extents later in the year.

The NSIDC graph below shows the 2016 global (Arctic and Antarctic combined) sea ice extent compared to the 1981-2010 climatological mean.
<img src="https://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/climatewx/2017/590x408_01112119_totalglobalice.png"/>

Report a Typo

Weather News

video

House swept away by raging floodwaters in New Mexico

Jul. 8, 2025
Weather News

‘We will not leave’: 180 missing in Texas floods, death toll hits 111

Jul. 9, 2025
Weather News

US Coast Guard rescue swimmer hailed as a hero after saving 165 kids f...

Jul. 8, 2025
Weather News

The faces of the Texas flooding tragedy

Jul. 7, 2025
Severe Weather

Severe weather to rumble in the central US through the holiday weekend

Jul. 6, 2025
Weather News

Record sargassum seaweed piles up on Caribbean islands, Gulf

Jul. 2, 2025
Weather News

Alabama teen in ICU after lightning strike hits boat, causing burns an...

Jul. 2, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

ABOUT THIS BLOG
Global climate change
Brett Anderson
Brett Anderson discusses and analyzes the latest research and commentary by experts with various points of view.
  • Astronomy
    with Dave Samuhel
  • Canadian weather
    with Brett Anderson
  • Global climate change
    with Brett Anderson
  • Global weather
    with Jason Nicholls
  • Northeast US weather
    with Elliot Abrams
  • Plume Labs on Air Quality
    with Tyler Knowlton
  • RealImpact of weather
    with Dr. Joel N. Myers
  • WeatherMatrix
    with Jesse Ferrell
  • Western US weather
    with Brian Thompson

Featured Stories

Travel

FAA investigating part of a Delta Air Lines wing fell onto a driveway

5 days ago

Health

Three hospitalized, 21 injured after bee attack in France

1 day ago

Weather News

France leads Europe in saying au revoir to beach and park smoking

5 days ago

Weather News

125,000-year-old ‘fat factory’ run by Neanderthals discovered

1 day ago

Weather News

An ambitious vision of a city built from lava

1 day ago

AccuWeather Weather Blogs Record low sea ice extent in both hemispheres for 2016
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...