Arctic Winter Sea Ice Hits Record Low in 2025, NASA Reports

In March 2025, Arctic winter sea ice reached a record low, according to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). The ice cover peaked at 5.53 million square miles, the lowest in 47 years of satellite records. This is 510,000 square miles below the 1981-2010 median, an area larger than Peru. The decline continues a decades-long trend, with less new ice forming and less multi-year ice accumulating. Globally, total sea ice reached an all-time low in February 2025, more than a million square miles below pre-2010 averages. Scientists use satellites to measure Earth's radiation in the microwave range, differentiating between open water and sea ice. The reduction in ice cover at both poles has resulted in a significant loss of global sea ice, raising concerns about future summer ice conditions.