Arctic Sea Ice's 2026 Minimum Ties for 10th-Lowest in the Satellite Record

NASA reports that Arctic sea ice reached its annual minimum extent on Sept. 12. The ice covered an estimated 1.78 million square miles (4.6 million square kilometres), tying 2008, 2010 and 2025 for the 10th-lowest minimum in the satellite record. The tie is the detail worth holding on to: a shared rank means 2026 lands in a cluster of recent years rather than standing apart from them, and a single season's number is a poor place to look for a verdict either way.