Copernicus: Global sea ice cover at a record low and third-warmest February globally | Copernicus
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The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts on behalf of the European Commission with funding from the EU, routinely publishes monthly climate bulletins reporting on the changes observed in global surface air and sea temperatures, sea ice cover and hydrological variables.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/19171727

  • Daily global sea ice extent, which combines the sea ice extents in both polar regions, reached a new all-time minimum in early February and remained below the previous record of February 2023 for the rest of the month.
  • Arctic sea ice reached its lowest monthly extent for February, at 8% below average. This marks the third consecutive month in which the sea ice extent has set a record for the corresponding month.*
  • Antarctic sea ice reached its fourth-lowest monthly extent for February, at 26% below average. The daily sea ice extent may have reached its annual minimum near the end of the month. If confirmed, it would be the second-lowest minimum in the satellite record. This confirmation will only be possible in early March.

It is important to note that the new record low for the Arctic in February is not an all-time minimum. Arctic sea ice is currently approaching its annual maximum extent, which typically occurs in March.

Temperatures in world regions

  • The average temperature over European land for February 2025 was 0.44°C, 0.40°C above the 1991-2020 average for February, ranking it well outside the 10 warmest months of February for Europe.
  • European temperatures were most above average over northern Fennoscandia, Iceland and the Alps. A large region of negative anomalies was recorded for eastern Europe.
  • Outside Europe, temperatures were most above average over large parts of the Arctic. They were also above average over northern Chile and Argentina, western Australia and the southwestern United States and Mexico.
  • Temperatures were most notably below average over parts of the United States and Canada. Other regions with below-average temperatures include the regions adjacent to the Black, Caspian and eastern Mediterranean Seas, as well as in a large region in eastern Asia, covering parts of southern Russia, Mongolia, China and Japan.
  • The average temperature for European land for winter 2025 (December 2024 to February 2025) was the joint second highest on record for the season at 1.46°C above the 1991-2020 average, significantly cooler than the warmest European winter in 2020 (2.84°C).