Remember back in 2007 when annual sea ice hit its lowest level ever recorded and declined at a rate far surpassing scientists worst predictions? Arctic sea ice during the 2007 melt season plummeted to the lowest levels since satellite measurements began in 1979. The average sea ice extent for September 2007 was 4.28 million square kilometers (1.65 million square miles), the lowest September on record, shattering the previous record for the month, set in 2005, by 23 percent.

This year, sea ice melted at a slower rate,but in May sea ice level’s have almost dropped to levels during the same period in 2007 .   The National Snow and Ice Data center is monitoring sea ice coverage and its latest report and images can be viewed at http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/. It is very likely that this year’s sea ice coverage will again fall below normal, but summer conditions will determine how far we vary from the average.