The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) is a network of US and international members working to advance research on the processes driving sea ice predictability, prediction products, and the communication of findings to interested stakeholders. SIPN2 is funded by NSF-Arctic Sciences Section and the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), with several collaborators and partners.
The Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share ideas and predictions for Arctic ice extent, sea-ice probability, ice-free date, and other variables. The SIO produces reports in June, July, and August containing a variety of perspectives on Arctic sea ice—from observations of current conditions, to advanced numerical models, to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. Post-season reports provide in-depth analyses of factors driving sea ice, as well as explore the scientific methods for predicting seasonal ice extent.
The 2020 SIO monthly reports for June, July, and August are available online. The September monthly averaged sea ice extent at the end of the 2020 summer melt season was 3.92 million square kilometers. This is the second lowest in the satellite record that began in 1979. A 2020 Interim Post-Season Report, published in mid-October, is intended as a quick postseason update that summarizes how the outlooks did in comparison to the observed September monthly mean extent.
A full post-season report, with a more in-depth analysis of the sea ice season and an evaluation of the accuracy of the Outlook predictions, will be published in February 2021.