In early March we went beyond the 10 mark for the first time since June 2016, by averaging higher than 10 million km² sea ice extent. Now the worm has turned, and explicitly suggested in a dotted way below, is the possibility of a new record low for the full calendar year. Of course, as soon as such a thing is suggested, the Arctic will twist and turn like the giant unpredictable Midgardsorm it is, or at least the pendulum will go back and forth a few times, before we truly know where we’re heading.

Q: Where’s the data source for this plot?
A: Here: https://ads.nipr.ac.jp/vishop/#/extent
Q: How can anyone make an annual average graph?
A: Easy. Use a computer. Add all the ice for the latest 365 days, divide by that number of days.
Q: Why would I even do that?
A: Let’s say you want to know how much ice we have in 2019 compared to other years.