NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
Northern Hemisphere Snow Cover Extent
| February 2024 | Snow Cover Extent | Anomaly 1991-2020 | Trend per decade | Rank (58 years) | Record | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| million km² | million mi² | million km² | million mi² | million km² | million mi² | Year(s) | million km² | million mi² | |||
| Northern Hemisphere | 45.60 | 17.61 | -0.18 | -0.07 | -0.10 | -0.04 | Largest | 33rd | 1978 | 51.32 | 19.81 |
| Smallest | 26th | 1990 | 42.16 | 16.28 | |||||||
| North America | 16.56 | 6.39 | -0.65 | -0.25 | +0.06 | +0.02 | Largest | 46th | 1978 | 19.04 | 7.35 |
| Smallest | 13th | 1991 | 15.63 | 6.03 | |||||||
| Eurasia | 29.04 | 11.21 | +0.48 | +0.19 | -0.15 | -0.06 | Largest | 24th | 1972 | 33.26 | 12.84 |
| Smallest | 35th | 2002 | 25.91 | 10.00 | |||||||
Data Source: Global Snow Laboratory, Rutgers University. Period of record: 1967–2024 (58 years)
The Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent for February 2024 was 43.84 million square kilometers (16.93 million square miles), which was 1.86 million square kilometers (720,000 square miles) below the 1991–2020 average.
This ranked as the ninth smallest Northern Hemisphere February snow extent on record.
The North America and Greenland snow cover extent was 15.92 million square kilometers (6.15 million square miles), which was 1.27 million square kilometers (490,000 square miles) below the 1991–2020 average. This ranked as the third smallest February snow cover extent for North America on record, contrasting sharply with last February's slightly above-average extent.
Below-average February snow cover extent was observed across large parts of the U.S. from the Northeast to the Plains and parts of the Intermountain West. Some parts of the Southwest, far West, and northern Rockies had above average snow cover extent.
Snow cover extent over Eurasia in February was 27.91 million square kilometers (10.78 million square miles), which was 610,000 square kilometers (240,000 square miles) below the 1991–2020 average. This was the 20th-smallest February snow cover extent on record.
Snow cover was below-average across most of Europe extending into western Asia including much of Turkey, Iran, and the Caucasus as well as Uzbekistan and southern Kazakhstan. By contrast large areas of above average snow cover stretched across areas that included China, Mongolia, southeastern Kazakhstan, and North Korea.
Sea Ice Extent
The sea ice extent data for the Arctic and Antarctic are provided by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) and are measured from passive microwave instruments onboard NOAA Satellites. The sea ice extent period of record is from 1979–2024 for a total of 46 years.
| February 2024 | Sea Ice Extent | Anomaly 1991-2020 | Trend per decade | Rank (46 years) | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| million km² | million mi² | Year(s) | million km² | million mi² | |||||
| Northern Hemisphere | 14.61 | 5.64 | -1.68% | -2.69% | Largest | 32nd | 1979 | 16.18 | 6.25 |
| Smallest | 15th | 2018 | 13.97 | 5.39 | |||||
| Ties: 2022 | |||||||||
| Southern Hemisphere | 2.14 | 0.83 | -30.74% | -1.94% | Largest | 45th | 2008 | 3.89 | 1.50 |
| Smallest | 2nd | 2023 | 1.91 | 0.74 | |||||
| Globe | 16.75 | 6.47 | -6.69% | -2.56% | Largest | 43rd | 1979 | 19.32 | 7.46 |
| Smallest | 4th | 2023 | 16.09 | 6.21 | |||||
Data Source: National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Period of record: 1979–2024 (46 years)
Globally, February 2024 sea ice extent was 4th smallest in the 46-year record at 16.75 million square kilometers (6.47 million square miles). This was approximately 1.2 million square kilometers (460,000 square miles) less than the 1991–2020 average, slightly more than the record low February extent of 16.09 million square kilometers (6.21 million square miles) set in 2023. According to NSIDC, Antarctic sea ice extent reached its minimum extent for the year on February 20, 2024.
The Arctic sea ice extent for February 2024 tied 2022 as the 15th smallest in the satellite record at 14.61 million square kilometers (5.64 million square miles). This was approximately 250,000 square kilometers (100,000 square miles) below the 1991–2020 average.
Sea ice extent was well below average in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (tied for 3rd lowest), consistent with the anomalous warmth in this region throughout much of the winter season. It was below average in the Sea of Japan, in contrast with an above average extent in 2023. Below-average extent also was present in Baffin Bay, the Barents Sea, and the Bering Sea. Near-average to above average conditions prevailed in the central Arctic Ocean, the Greenland Sea, and the Sea of Okhotsk.
According to NSIDC, the downward linear trend in Arctic sea ice extent over the 46-year satellite record is 41,000 square kilometers (16,000 square miles) per year. Based on the linear trend, February has lost 1.84 million square kilometers (710,000 square miles) of Arctic ice since 1979, an area equivalent to the size of Alaska.
The average Antarctic sea ice extent in February 2024 was the second smallest on record (2.14 million square kilometers or 826,000 square miles), just above the record low of 1.91 million square kilometers (740,000 square miles) set in February 2023. This was 950,000 square kilometers (370,000 square miles) below the 1991–2020 average. According to NSIDC, Antarctic sea ice reached its minimum extent for the year, at 1.99 million square kilometers (768,000 square miles) on February 20, 2024. This tied with 2022 for second lowest in the 46-year satellite record, behind 2023. This was the third consecutive annual minimum below 2 million square kilometers (772,000 square miles).