Our Research
As climate changes, how do Earth's frozen areas affect our planet and impact society?
Related News & Stories
Filter by:
Analysis - Snow Today
Continuing the trend of recent months, the western United States received significant snowfall in February 2023, helping to improve drought conditions in the West. Despite dominance of a La Niña conditions, current snowpack patterns resemble those characteristic of El Niño years.
Analysis - Sea Ice Today
Throughout February, Arctic sea ice extent tracked between second and fourth lowest in the satellite record while Antarctic sea ice extent tracked at record low extents.
News Release
Antarctic sea ice has likely reached its minimum extent for the year, at 1.79 million square kilometers (691,000 square miles) on February 21, 2023, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder. The 2023 minimum is the lowest in the 45-year satellite record.
Analysis - Sea Ice Today
On February 21, Antarctic sea ice likely reached its annual minimum extent of 1.79 million square kilometers (691,000 square miles).
Analysis - Sea Ice Today
Antarctic sea ice extent appears to have broken the record low set last year. With a couple more weeks likely left in the melt season, the extent is expected to drop further before reaching its annual minimum.
Analysis - Snow Today
A series of atmospheric rivers significantly increased snow-covered area and snow water equivalent in the California Sierra Nevada, and to a lesser extent the delivery of snow inland to Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. Snow-covered area for the western United States was 125 percent of average for January with above average snow cover in most regions.