Following up on FOW’s comments, below is a map prepared by the University of Washington’s Polar Science Center that shows the locations of the thickness anomalies relative to recent years.
According to the PIOMAS model, 2020 is currently in 6th place. However, as can be seen from the map, the areas where 2020 has its largest advantage are areas that will struggle to survive this melting season.
The anomalously thick ice on the Atlantic front will be exported south where it will eventually melt. The anomalously thick ice north of the western CAA will be exported into the Beaufort or Amundsen Gulf where it will likely melt in situ.
The CAB has a slight positive anomaly, but it seems to be overwhelmed by the negative anomalies in the ESS, Laptev and Kara.
PIOMAS is a model. But it is a useful one. The absolute values might not be correct, but the trends are important to watch.
As people have repeatedly said, it is way too early in the season to make predictions about the ultimate minimum. But what we can see is that the long term pattern is continuing to head in a very bad direction.