You're probably not thinking about the Arctic now that spring is here, but March is the month when the sea ice is at its maximum. UPR's Jennifer Pemberton flew over the Arctic this month and has this reflection on the season's melt and the more serious melt.
"For some reason I like to know where we are in the cycle of melting and freezing of the Arctic. I like to know when it’s snowing on my daffodils that there are warm vents of melted ocean steaming in the north. I like to think of seals basking on ice floes in the peak heat of August. I like to think of all that cold gathering into a solid mass through the winter, storing up water and energy for whatever comes next. I think it’s good to be reminded of the beauty of the ice at its fullest -- just to remember that it’s up there, reflecting our every move."
Watch the sea ice index animation from the National Snow and Ice Data Center