Federal report says Arctic just had its warmest year ever, heating twice as fast as global average [View all]

Source: The Hill

12/17/25 5:23 PM ET


A federal report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the Arctic region experienced its warmest year ever, heating twice as fast as the national average.

Surface air temperatures from October 2024 to September 2025 were the highest on record since at least 1900, and the last 10 years have been the warmest on record in the Arctic, according to the report. Researchers said the loss of ice is apparent on land as is the warming sea temperatures.

“While the winter snowpack was above average across much of the Arctic, rapid melting in late spring caused June snow extent to drop below normal, continuing a six-decade decline. June snow cover extent is now 50 percent of what it was in the 1960s, altering river discharge, vegetation processes, animal behavior, and fire risk,” the report says.

“The loss of reflective snow surfaces in June, when incoming solar energy reaches its annual maximum, results in more heat absorbed at the surface, contributing to further Arctic warming trends,” it adds.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5653801-arctic-region-warmest-year/