Arctic sea ice hits another troubling low in 2026

Arctic sea ice is shrinking in both winter and summer, with satellite records revealing that the region’s remaining ice is becoming thinner, younger, and more vulnerable to melting. Despite a recent slowdown in summer losses, scientists warn that the Arctic could experience a nearly ice-free summer before 2050. Arctic sea ice hits another troubling low in 2026.

The Arctic Ocean is covered by a vast expanse of frozen seawater that expands and contracts with the seasons. Ice typically builds up throughout the long, dark winter, reaching its greatest extent in March before retreating during the warmer months to a September minimum. This seasonal cycle has continued for thousands of years, but satellite measurements reveal that the amount of ice covering the ocean has declined substantially at both ends of the cycle.

In 2026, Arctic sea ice reached its annual minimum extent on September 12 (above), covering about 4.6 million square kilometers (1.78 million square miles). According to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), this tied the minimums recorded in 2008, 2010, and 2025 for the 10th-lowest level since satellite monitoring began. The maps below illustrate how Arctic sea ice has changed over time, comparing September conditions since 1990 (left), when ice coverage is typically at its lowest, with the following March (right), when it approaches its annual peak.