Weather v Climate change, uncertain rules of the game.

When the ice gets thin enough for storms to break it up and cause it to be taken South by the ocean currents then things will start to happen in ernest.

It is the steadily decreasing THICKNESS of the ice not the fluctuating extent of it that is the main measure of Global Warming.

A few years ago, when the Arctic was considerably warmer than usual (but still below freezing), the ice actually appeared EARLIER than expected. Huge areas of ocean suddenly froze over. This happened because there was less flow of dense cold sea water downward (causing an upward movement of warmer water) than was the case when the weather was colder.