Arctic sea ice is now just almost at a record low, thanks to cold March winds which helped it expand just beyond the low set in 2017.
U.S. government scientists said ice covering the Arctic ocean reached its second lowest extent on record this winter, but for most of the winter was at record lows,
Scientists from National Snow and Ice Data Center said Arctic sea ice peaked at 5.59 million square miles. That's 448,000 square miles below normal.
The last four years have seen the lowest sea ice maximums since satellite tracking began in 1979.
Arctic sea ice helps moderate global climate. Some studies connect its loss to more extreme weather further south, including winter storms like those that have smacked North America and Europe in recent weeks.