The U.S. shivers and shovels, but the Artric ice doesn't form

As folks across much of the central and eastern U.S. shivered and shoveled through a cold, snowy winter, the unusual chill didn't extend to the far north, where Arctic ice is at record low levels so far for the winter.

While no one in their right mind would describe the Arctic's weather this past winter as warm or even remotely mild, a large portion of the region did see warmer-than-average temperatures, according to Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

The warmth in the Arctic -- where some spots were as much as 7 to 11 degrees above average in February -- contributed to the lack of sea ice there. The average wintertime temperatures near the North Pole are about minus 22 to minus 31.

Read the ABC story here: “Winter ice in the Arctic nears all-time record low”.