Less sea ice, more snow for Arctic regions, says ice data centre

This graph shows a 3.6 per cent linear rate of decline per decade in Arctic ice extent since 1978, according to the NSIDC. (PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL SNOW AND ICE DATA CENTER)

Expect rapid sea ice loss in the next few weeks.

That’s according to the Colorado-based National Snow and Ice Data Center’s June report.

“The pace of sea ice loss was near average for the month of June, but persistently warm conditions and increased melting late in the month may have set the stage for rapid ice loss in the coming weeks,” the NSIDC’s June 2015 report said.

In total, 1.61 square kilometres of sea ice melted in the month of June.

But the overall annual Arctic sea ice extent continues its steady decline. There is a general loss of about 3.6 per cent of sea ice per decade, if you compare June 1979 to June 2015.

Sea ice for June 2015 was the third lowest ever for that month’s Arctic sea ice extent.

It was 920,000 square km below the 1981 to 2010 long-term average — a hunk of ice comparable in size to the geographical area of British Columbia.

But sea ice behaves differently, if you look at specific areas in the Arctic.

Sea ice extent this winter was below average in western Hudson Bay, for example, but above average in the eastern Hudson Bay. Ice extent was about average for eastern Greenland.

But while ice melts, the NSIDC is telling northerners to expect more snowfall precipitation in the Arctic in the coming years.

“Climate models predict that Arctic precipitation will increase through the twenty-first century,” the report said.

As the climate continues to warm, the atmosphere can hold more moisture, the report said.

“The decline in Arctic sea ice extent may also play a role, as more open water will provide a moisture source,” the NSIDC said.

According to those climate models, more precipitation is expected in autumn, the report said. That’s because of a significant temperature contrast between the open water and the air, which promotes “strong evaporation into the atmosphere.”

But just to show that climate models, and actual weather, don’t always mesh, June snow cover over North America, and across the entire northern hemisphere, was the second lowest in 48 years, the NSIDC said.

“June snow cover was especially low over Alaska and western Canada,” the NSIDC said.

Meanwhile in Antarctica, sea ice is booming. It was the third highest June ice extent on satellite record.