[Vision2020] Realclimate.org/NSIDC: Record Early Ice Out Date, Low Arctic Sea Ice Extent April 2019

[Ted Moffett]

Winter outlook 2018-2019: How’d we do?
https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/winter-outlook-2018-2019-how%E2%80%99d-we-do

"...in February, the western half of the country was transported to the ice
planet Hoth. A huge area across the Northern Plains stretching into the
Pacific Northwest observed temperatures more than 11°F below average for
the month.  February 2019
<https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/temp-and-precip/us-maps/1/201902?products%5b%5d=statewidetavgrank#us-maps-select>
became
the second-coldest February since 1895 in Montana and North Dakota, the
third-coldest in South Dakota, and the fifth-coldest in Washington."
----------------------------
Given the cold very snowy February 2019 the Palouse witnessed, as discussed
above at climate.gov, it is rather incredible, though not really
surprising, with the well established global warming trend of polar
amplification, that the Arctic during Feb. and since has had warm
temperatures and records for early ice out dates, and low total sea ice
extent, as revealed by the credible sources below:
Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
-----------------------------
Realclimate.org features an article from Goddard Institute for Space
Studies director Gavin Schmidt, regarding the record "ice out" event in the
Arctic this Spring 2019:
Nenana Ice Classic 2019
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2019/04/nenana-ice-classic-2019/#comments


"Perhaps unsurprisingly given the exceptional (relative) warmth
<https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/09/climate/alaska-abnormally-hot-march.html?smid=tw-share>
in
Alaska last month and in February, the record for the Nenana Ice Classic
<http://nenanaakiceclassic.com/> was shattered this year.

The previous official record was associated with the exceptional conditions
<https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1256/wea.248.04> in El
Niño-affected winter of 1939-1940, when the ice went out on April 20th
1940. Though since 1940 was a leap year, that was actually a little later
(relative to the vernal equinox) than the ice out date in 1998 (which
wasn’t a leap year).

Other records are also tumbling in the region, for instance the ice out
data at Bethel, Alaska."

--------------------------------

NSIDC Arctic sea ice extent early April was tracking at a record low,
though the March sea ice extent average was only the seventh lowest on
record:

https://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/

"Arctic sea ice extent appears to have reached its maximum extent on March
13, marking the beginning of the sea ice melt season. Since the maximum,
sea ice extent has been tracking at record low levels."

------------------

"Arctic sea ice extent for March averaged 14.55 million square kilometers
(5.62 million square miles), tying with 2011 for the seventh lowest extent
in the 40-year satellite record."

------------------

"These late-March sea ice extent losses in the Bering Sea accelerated
the decline of total Arctic sea ice extent. By April 1, Arctic extent was
at a record low for that date. "
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