Arctic winter sea-ice extent fails to expand and sets a new record low in 2026‎

In 2026, the Arctic winter sea-ice extent (annual maximum extent) reached the lowest value since satellite observations began in 1979, following the previous record low in March 2025. As part of the Arctic Challenge for Sustainability III (ArCS III), the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) maintain a long-term dataset spanning more than 40 years.