Air temperatures
Many Arctic regions experienced record high temperatures in 2016, but in 2017 conditions were generally cooler. The Arctic temperature peak in 2016 may have been affected by ocean heat released from the Pacific Ocean during the 2015–16 El Niño and subsequently transported to the Arctic region.Sea ice
Both variations had simultaneous minima in 2016, with consequences for the global sea ice extent. A trend in the opposite direction, towards higher ice extent at both poles, appears to have begun during 2017, as was predicted in ‘State of the Climate 2016’.Snow cover
Considering seasonal changes since 1979, the Northern Hemisphere snow cover autumn extent is slightly increasing, the mid-winter extent is approximately stable, and the spring extent is slightly decreasing. In 2017, the Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent was somewhat higher than in 2016 2016, especially during winter, spring and summer.Global monthly lower troposphere air temperature since 1979
Read More: STATE OF THE CLIMATE 2017 - Ole Humlum