Arctic Logs Highest Temperatures in 125 Years
The latest NOAA Arctic Report Card shows that between October 2024 and September 2025, average temperatures across the region reached unprecedented levels in records spanning more than a century. The findings also confirm that the last decade represents the 10 warmest years ever observed in the Arctic.
Driven largely by fossil fuel emissions, the Arctic is heating up as much as four times faster than the global average. Scientists warn that this rapid warming is destabilizing a region that plays a critical role in regulating Earth’s climate.
Satellite data indicate that Arctic sea ice reached its lowest maximum extent in 2025 since measurements began 47 years ago. The report notes that the oldest and thickest ice has declined by more than 95% since the 1980s, as rising temperatures and increased rainfall accelerate melting.
In Arctic Alaska, thawing permafrost has dramatically altered freshwater systems. More than 200 rivers and streams have turned orange due to increased acidity and toxic metals, degrading water quality and damaging aquatic ecosystems. Researchers are now assessing potential risks to drinking water supplies and subsistence fishing.
Precipitation across the Arctic also reached record levels during the October 2024–September 2025 period. Winter, spring, and autumn precipitation each ranked among the five highest totals since 1950, with much of the moisture falling as rain instead of snow. As a result, June snow cover is now roughly half of what it was six decades ago.
The report emphasizes that these rapid and interconnected changes are reshaping the Arctic with far-reaching consequences, warning that continued warming will affect both Arctic communities and global climate systems, and underscoring the importance of long-term monitoring and research.
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