NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
Northern Hemisphere Snow Cover Extent
| June 2024 | Snow Cover Extent | Anomaly 1991-2020 | Trend per decade | Rank (57 years) | Record | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| million km² | million mi² | million km² | million mi² | million km² | million mi² | Year(s) | million km² | million mi² | |||
| Northern Hemisphere | 6.59 | 2.54 | -1.54 | -0.59 | -1.21 | -0.47 | Largest | 46th | 1978 | 14.97 | 5.78 |
| Smallest | 12th | 2012 | 4.92 | 1.90 | |||||||
| North America | 4.53 | 1.75 | -0.75 | -0.29 | -0.42 | -0.16 | Largest | 48th | 1978 | 7.84 | 3.03 |
| Smallest | 10th | 2012 | 3.85 | 1.49 | |||||||
| Eurasia | 2.05 | 0.79 | -0.80 | -0.31 | -0.78 | -0.30 | Largest | 44th | 1978 | 7.13 | 2.75 |
| Smallest | 14th | 2012 | 1.07 | 0.41 | |||||||
Data Source: Global Snow Laboratory, Rutgers University. Period of record: 1967–2024 (57 years)
The Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent for June 2024 was 6.59 million square kilometers (2.54 million square miles), which was 1.54 million square kilometers (590,000 square miles) below the 1991–2020 average.
This ranked as the 12th smallest Northern Hemisphere June snow extent on record. Snow extent for June has been at least nominally below average in 16 of the past 17 years. The downward linear trend in June Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent over the 58-year record equates to an average reduction of 121,000 square kilometers (47,000 square miles) of snow cover extent per year.
The North America and Greenland snow cover extent was 4.53 million square kilometers (1.75 million square miles), which was 750,000 square kilometers (290,000 square miles) below the 1991–2020 average. This ranked as the 10th smallest June snow cover extent on record for North America, and was the 16th June with below-average snow cover extent in the past 17 years. Snow cover extent was below average across most of northern Canada and the Canadian Rockies as well as large parts of Alaska and parts of the US Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada. Small areas of above-average snow cover extent are visible in parts of far western Canada and small parts of Alaska.
Snow cover extent over Eurasia in June was below average at 2.05 million square kilometers (790,000 square miles), which was 800,000 square kilometers (310,000 square miles) below the 1991–2020 average. This was the 14th-smallest June snow cover extent on record for Eurasia. It was the 17th June with below-average Eurasian snow cover extent in the past 18 years.
June snow cover extent was below average across a large part of eastern Siberia, far eastern Russia, and parts of China. Above-average snow cover extent was present in parts of western Siberia and isolated parts of China and northern Pakistan.
Sea Ice Extent
The sea ice extent data for the Arctic and Antarctic are provided by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) and are measured from passive microwave instruments onboard NOAA Satellites. The sea ice extent period of record is from 1979–2024 for a total of 46 years.
| June 2024 | Sea Ice Extent | Anomaly 1991-2020 | Trend per decade | Rank (46 years) | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| million km² | million mi² | Year(s) | million km² | million mi² | |||||
| Northern Hemisphere | 10.90 | 4.21 | -3.54% | -3.72% | Largest | 35th | 1979 | 12.53 | 4.84 |
| Smallest | 12th | 2016 | 10.41 | 4.02 | |||||
| Southern Hemisphere | 11.76 | 4.54 | -12.63% | -0.37% | Largest | 45th | 2014 | 14.69 | 5.67 |
| Smallest | 2nd | 2023 | 11.02 | 4.25 | |||||
| Globe | 22.66 | 8.75 | -8.48% | -1.90% | Largest | 45th | 1979 | 26.72 | 10.32 |
| Smallest | 2nd | 2023 | 21.98 | 8.49 | |||||
Data Source: National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Period of record: 1979–2024 (46 years)
Globally, June 2024 sea ice extent was second lowest in the 46-year June record at 22.66 million square kilometers (8.75 million square miles). This was approximately 2.10 million square kilometers (810,000 square miles) less than the 1991–2020 average, and slightly above last year's record low June extent of 21.98 million square kilometers (8.49 million square miles). June sea ice extent has been below average in each of the past nine years.
The average Arctic sea ice extent for June 2024 was the 12th smallest in the satellite record at 10.90 million square kilometers (4.21 million square miles). This was approximately 400,000 square kilometers (150,000 square miles) below the 1991–2020 average. The average June Arctic sea ice extent has been below the 1991–2020 average in 14 of the past 15 years.
Hudson Bay had its lowest June sea ice extent on record, 130,000 square kilometers (50,000 square miles) less than the second lowest June extent in 2010. June sea ice extent was near to below-average in Baffin Bay, the Beaufort Sea, Greenland Sea, and the Sea of Okhotsk. Sea ice extent was above average in the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea, which tied as the 12th greatest June extent on record.
The average Antarctic sea ice extent for June 2024 was the second smallest on record (11.76 million square kilometers or 4.54 million square miles), approximately 1.70 million square kilometers (660,000 square miles) below the 1991–2020 average. This year's June extent was approximately 740,000 square kilometers (290,000 square miles) greater than the lowest June Antarctic sea ice extent that occurred last year.