Yes i have seen that as a provisional claim. I have not seen a source or verification for that graph and the official SYNOPS data and minimum for that date contradict the claim. https://www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=04416&lang=en&decoded=yes&ndays=2&ano=2020&mes=01&day=04&hora=13 

Hmm I'm not sure then.

 

Hmm I'm not sure then.

They are based on 3 hour, top of the hour readings, the actual minima is not stated which is unusual for Ogimet. Perhaps as DM said, it is awaiting verification or something. 

 

They are based on 3 hour, top of the hour readings, the actual minima is not stated which is unusual for Ogimet. Perhaps as DM said, it is awaiting verification or something. 

This is true but the 3 hourly data do not match the graph at all.

 

This is true but the 3 hourly data do not match the graph at all.

Angry rant alert

I'm not saying the -66C is disinformation but let's assume, for the sake of rant, it is. People really need to improve on the information quality avalible to the public. Why is this stuff not avalible with a simple google search? This is how people would be able to get away with spreading disinformation, because the real info is so bloody hard to get acsess to.

Just read the January Arctic sea ice update from NSIDC and I found it interesting because it seems a bit of a ho hum update especially considering that parts of the Arctic have seen very cold temperatures for large parts of January and January sea ice is at its highest level since 2012-2013. 

You can read the update here - http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/

Also if you look at the temperature anomaly map, it looks to me that many parts of the arctic basin/ocean have seen near normal temperatures through January as opposed to the normal crazy high anomalies seen in the arctic over the past few winters. 

I think I was hoping for a more positive update especially seeing that winter arctic sea ice has been at its highest levels in January since 2012-2013. 

Grant

Wow!

2020 is now the 14th lowest on record, it is so close to breaking out of the bottom 15. I never thought I'd see that day come to pass.

I saw a chart somewhere showing volume making some recovery too, though not on anything like the scale of extent - still among the lowest four or five years. This implies some seriously thin ice dominating the extent measures, but I need to find a little time to check on that.

Outside the Arctic, N. Europe is still being indicated to have a hard time extending snow cover as of mid-Feb. No signs of a sudden stratospheric warming to release the Arctic cold and set up a HP-dominated spring (which is generally ice-friendly until mid-May).

What really needs avoiding, but is looking increasingly possible in Apr-May 2020 (unless a major pattern shift is driven by stratospheric or tropical events), is a dominant pattern of LPs across the Arctic drawing from large areas of unusually high temps across Europe.

It's all about potential at the moment and at 2-3 month's range, so I'm not massively worried at this time, but the concern is there.

That is great news Quantum. And with another 6 weeks to go until the melt season begins, we might still break out of that. Do you know what year recorded the highest ever arctic sea ice extent or where I could find that data?

Thanks!

That is great news Quantum. And with another 6 weeks to go until the melt season begins, we might still break out of that. Do you know what year recorded the highest ever arctic sea ice extent or where I could find that data?

Thanks!

In the longitudinal satellite era it is probably back at the start in 1979. We are around 1.3-1.5 million square km behind the norm for that time currently (and above the 2010s average but below the 2000 one for the time of year).

 

In the longitudinal satellite era it is probably back at the start in 1979. We are around 1.3-1.5 million square km behind the norm for that time currently (and above the 2010s average but below the 2000 one for the time of year).

1996 is also worth looking into. That was the most recent '2020 type year' that bucked the dimihsing trend.

Not seen CFSv2 predict a minimum off the scale before... it's as if it sees 2012 as the only comparable year. Which would be odd, given that it's predicting a moderate La Nina to emerge by the summer.

Not taking this model seriously of course - just remarking on the unusual projection.

A question - if the PV is so strong and AO is so wildly positive and there is so much low pressure over Greenland, with models showing dark blue and purple colours, then why are there so few precipitation spikes in these ENS over Godthab? Looks dry to me - indicative of blocking but little sign of this in models?