Tag Archives: late spring

Arctic sea ice at the summer solstice: more polar bear habitat than 2022 after hottest year on record

We are just into the 2024 sea ice melt season in the Arctic with no signs of any big, dramatic changes despite claims that 2023 was the warmest year on record (since 1850). There is still abundant sea ice habitat for polar bears ahead of the summer months (July-September) when Arctic ice melts back considerably.

Polar bears in Western Hudson Bay are still on the ice despite vast open water levels normally signaling “breakup” has happened: the wind-driven ice is packed tight against the western shore and the bears are still on it.

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Huge area of open water on Hudson Bay created by wind, not ice melt, NSIDC experts confirm

Sea ice experts at the US National Snow and Ice Data Center just confirmed my suspicion that the huge area of open water in eastern Hudson Bay during May this year was caused by winds, not ice melt. In other words, it’s a rare occurrence but not a sign of extra-early sea ice melt caused by global warming.

Money quote: “Unusual strong and persistent winds from the east caused the low extent.”

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