I thought I would add some confusion to those still wondering where to place their chips.
The 1st thing is to be a chartist. I put a trend line (X2) on the JAXA graph. It says maximum exactly 14 million km2. Surely it must be right, R2 coefficient 0.983 !!
Graph attached
The 2nd thing is the SSW of early Jan followed by the PSV causing such grief to parts of North America. Judah Cohen was talking about the effects dragging through to mid-March. Wunderground also said about the same thing - with a mid-March snap-back in temps for the USA. Siberia also looking really cold. In contrast, the Arctic Ocean, the Bering Sea, and the Atlantic front and even off shore off the far NE of Canada have +ve temp anomalies. i.s. WACC. If that lasts the peripheral seas might not be freezing so much as usual.
GFS average temp anomalies (10 day) attached.
The next posts add yet more confusion as I post the extent graphs (NSIDC data) for the seas still in play.