Antarctica: the six lowest February sea-ice averages all came after 2016
February is late summer in Antarctica: we compare monthly mean ice extent. In 1979–2016 it averaged 3.1 million km²; in 2023 it hit a record low of 1.98 million. In 2026: 2.91 million, a partial rebound.
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February averages describe summer ice, not exact annual or daily minima. The lowest averages for this month cluster in recent years. These data do not show why.
The line is each February, million km². Circles mark the six smallest values; the horizontal line is the 1979–2016 average.
- February, 1979–2016 average million km²
3.11 (1979–2016)
- Lowest February on record million km²
1.978 (2023-02)
- Latest February million km²
2.912 (2026-02)
Take the monthly mean ice extent for every February since 1979 (latest: 2026) and sort ascending. Count how many of the smallest values in a row fall after 2016. The 1979–2016 average is a simple mean of those Februaries. Extent sums grid cells with at least 15% ice concentration.
Fetterer et al. (2025), Sea Ice Index v4, DOI 10.7265/a98x-0f50. Northern/Southern Hemisphere are not countries. Extent counts whole grid cells with ice concentration ≥15%; area weights by concentration. Monthly satellite estimates in million km², not volume or land glaciers. Recent points may be preliminary. The published annual mean is calendar-day weighted and retained only with all 12 months present. Hemispheres are not summed into a universal climate index.
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