Here ends a very bad season.
Not being a Negative Nancy here, just realistic:
North Atlantic waters seeping into the Arctic are warmer than ever, the Nares was open all year since last year, the SSTs all around are warmer, the overall Arctic Ocean volume (ignoring thick ice crushed against land) is close to the worst state on record at start of freezing season, if not the worst, the ice itself is said to be poor quality, the fire seasons are pouring more soot over the Arctic than ever, and the fire seasons are longer than before.
This next paragraph was going to be the good news. I am trying really hard to see the good news here, and the idea that 'we dodged a bullet' being floated all over the internet now. I don't see it. “Extent” is not telling the true state the overall Arctic Ocean.
These general extent graphs are deceptive. I could be wrong, because I do think volume is the most important factor, and that volume in the overall Arctic Ocean to be the most important indicator, but the overall picture is very bad.
Ok, I'll try again to find something positive ...
I'm trying... help me out here. The only positive I can think of is that bigger and bigger storms in the Atlantic could cool surface waters (but that's not very good news for those in the path of those storms). I would hope for a really cold winter over the Arctic, but that's not likely. The only good news is there might be more snow than previous years (due to warmer air), and that could shield the ice a little next Spring. Can it help volume by next Sept.? I doubt it.
So "dodging a bullet", or "7th worst on record", it is not.
But wait for the science-deniers across the right-wing news to start shouting that ""the Arctic ice is in the best shape in years, and getting better.""
If anyone can think of a positive outcome from this melt season let me know. I may have missed it.