In 2008, the North Pole was covered with first year ice – which prompted Mark Serreze to bet on an ice-free pole that summer.
This winter, clockwise circulation has pushed the older thick ice towards Alaska, leaving first year ice over the pole. Look for Serreze to try again in 2013.
Won’t happen, Steve, unless he is completely daft.
The open Arctic of September created early “Ocean-Effect” snow on the surrounding land, and the resulting loss of energy due to albedo enhanced reflectivity firmly set the stage for an abysmally cold winter. Asia was snow-covered all the way to the Himalayas and Istanbul, leading to a frighteningly cold winter, even after the Arctic totally refroze.
Polar temperatures are about 10 degrees colder than “normal” which means that the pack ice will be thicker, melt later, and not lead to a “record” open Arctic in 2013.
Just wait until 2015, when all bets are off again.
Of course, air temperatures will still be in either decline or flatline for the next few years, finally pulling the rug out from under the AGW crowd, who are quickly transitioning into a “severe” storm cabal, hoping that they can try to tax those too!!!