"Arctic Sea Ice Missed a Record Low This Winter. Barely."

"Arctic sea ice behaves a bit like a human waistline, packing on weight in the winter and slimming down in the heat of summer. But while many of us struggle to lose weight, the Arctic has been struggling to gain it.

The maximum extent of Arctic sea ice cover this winter was the second-lowest since satellite record-keeping began, researchers said Friday.

The loss of sea ice is a bellwether of global warming, suggesting that climate change is not just something to worry about far off in the future: It is here."

Kendra Pierre-Louis, Nadja Popovich, and Adam Pearce report for the New York Times March 23, 2018.

SEE ALSO:

"Runaway Arctic Ice Menaces Oil Rigs and Shipping as the Planet Warms" (InsideClimate News)

"A Heat Wave Left Arctic Sea Ice Near a Record Winter Low. This Town Is Paying the Price." (InsideClimate News)