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As climate changes, how do Earth's frozen areas affect our planet and impact society?

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Antarctic sea ice extent for May 2023 was 8.36 million square kilometers (3.23 million square miles).
Analysis - Sea Ice Today

The seasonal decline in Arctic sea ice extent was moderate through much of May before picking up pace over the last few days of the month.

observers and team gather at Observer Meeting in November 2022
ELOKA Spotlight
Working with Indigenous communities takes time, resources, and patience, but a shift is needed in science to include community voices and observations to widen and deepen our collective breadth of knowledge. The Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA), a NSIDC program, continues to collaborate with the Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub (AAOKH) to support an online community-led observational data hub.
Snow melting
Analysis - Snow Today
Snow-covered area for the western United States hit another record for April, the second month in a row since the satellite record began in 2001. With longer days, more sun, and increasing temperatures in the coming months, concerns arise for how quickly the snowpack may melt in California with potential for flood risks.
Line graph above shows Arctic sea ice extent as of May 2, 2023, along with daily ice extent data for four previous years and the record low year.
Analysis - Sea Ice Today

The rate of sea ice loss for April 2023 was slow, owing to cool conditions across the ice-covered Arctic Ocean and below-average to near-average temperatures near the ice edge.