Extreme Temperature Diary- Thursday March 20th, 2026/Main Topic: Check on Arctic Sea Ice Extent

guyonclimate_mi5tor

The main purpose of this ongoing blog will be to track planetary extreme, or record temperatures related to climate change. Any reports I see of ETs will be listed below the main topic of the day. I’ll refer to extreme or record temperatures as ETs (not extraterrestrials).😜

Main Topic: Check on Arctic Sea Ice Extent

Dear Diary. Due to major CAT3 Heatwave Artex climatologist are beginning to educationally speculate that 2026 will wind up extremely hot and dry across most of the CONUS just like in 2012 or worse. That year there was an exceptionally warm March, which has been the warmest March on record since 1895. It looks like 2026 could best anomalous level ls from 2012 in March.

Another item that coincided with the anomalous U.S. heat from 2012 was the lowest extent of Arctic sea ice extent up to that point. So how is Arctic sea ice extent doing in 2026? The answer. Not good:

🚨 Ice update – #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the *lowest* on record (JAXA data)…• about 640,000 km² below the 2010s mean• about 1,050,000 km² below the 2000s mean• about 1,460,000 km² below the 1990s mean• about 1,950,000 km² below the 1980s meanMore: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-i…

— Zack Labe (@zacklabe.com) 2026-03-19T18:47:54.856Z

From:

Sam Carana 

3/19/2026 

LOW ARCTIC SEA ICE – BLUE OCEAN EVENT 2026?

Arctic sea ice extent was 13.48 million km² on March 18, 2026, the lowest extent on record for the time of year.

The second image shows that the Arctic sea ice extent anomaly was 1.31 million km² lower than 1981-2010 on March 17, 2026 (black), the lowest daily anomaly on record and a deviation from 1981-2010 of -2.87σ. Also indicated is the sea ice extent anomaly for 2016, when there was a strong El Niño.

The third image below shows that on March 17, 2026, Arctic sea ice extent was 14.229 million km², the lowest extent on record for the time of year.

The fourth image shows that Arctic sea ice volume was at a record daily low on March 18, 2026.

This is a very dangerous situation, since we’re moving out of a La Niña (which is suppressing the temperature) into an El Niño (which will be elevating the temperature).

The danger is that a Blue Ocean Event will occur in 2026, if the 2026 Arctic sea ice volume continues to be low and if melting from April 2026 onward will be strong.

From the post ‘The 2026 El Nino – update March 2026’, at:

https://arctic-news.blogspot.com/…/the-2026-el-nino…

We will keep up with these trends as 2026 rolls along.

Here are some “ETs” recorded from around the U.S. the last couple of days, their consequences, and some extreme temperature outlooks, as well as any extreme precipitation reports:

North Platte is forecast to reach 97 Saturday. Their monthly record is 91. If 97 is reached, the return interval on that is ~1600 years. The maps here shows only the main cities that will reach records Saturday. Left side are monthly records for March… 1/

— Jeff Berardelli (@weatherprof.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T21:53:14.203Z

…And, again today, a huge swath of the continental United States clear across from the Pacific Coast to Mississippi River is experiencing all-time March monthly record heat. Some locations are so hot that they are actually exceeding *April* all-time record highs. Incredible.

— Daniel Swain (@weatherwest.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T22:04:00.000Z

105° in #Phoenix today has a return interval of ~4,000 + years in March based on the historical record. It’s plotted against the highest March temp in each year back to 1896. The gray dot right under it is yesterday, otherwise the 105° would look even more errant… 1/2

— Jeff Berardelli (@weatherprof.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T02:09:53.340Z

History is made. New US March monthly heat record at Martinez Lake, AZ at 110°! The most intense spring #heatwave in US history.

— Jeff Berardelli (@weatherprof.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T00:49:22.108Z

At least 128 new March Monthly records set today and counting! Never seen a #heatwave like it! Amazing.

— Jeff Berardelli (@weatherprof.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T00:21:53.033Z

Here is More Climate News from Friday:

(As usual, this will be a fluid post in which more information gets added during the day as it crosses my radar, crediting all who have put it on-line. Items will be archived on this site for posterity. In most instances click on the pictures of each tweet to see each article. The most noteworthy items will be listed first.)

The extraordinary heatwave in the SW U.S. has broken the U.S. national March heat record and the state March heat record for 5 states. The heat will peak today in much of the region. @bhensonweather.bsky.social and I have a summary: yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/03/reco…

— Dr. Jeff Masters (@drjeffmasters.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T16:11:47.833Z

New: Study says #heatwave made 800X more likely by climate change and 5°F more likely. 1/www.worldweatherattribution.org/record-shatt…

— Jeff Berardelli (@weatherprof.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T14:05:32.926Z

Although this is hard to verify 100%, best I can tell we unofficially beat a US March record for the most intense Heat Dome (known in meteorology as a 500mb ridge) at 5,980 meters as initialized in the Rapid Refresh Model and Canadian RDPS models today… 1/

— Jeff Berardelli (@weatherprof.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T04:45:40.052Z

I'll be talking with the great Ali @velshi.com about the record heat out west and how it's tied to human-caused climate change TONIGHT ~10:35pm ET on @ms.now @lastwordmsnow.bsky.social www.ms.now/the-last-word

— Michael E. Mann (@michaelemann.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T21:31:16.641Z

In case you missed it, this livestream discussion the astonishing and record-shattering Western U.S. heatwave and its "long tail" implications for snowpack, water supply, and wildfire risk was recorded live and is now available at the link below.

— Daniel Swain (@weatherwest.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T21:01:02.171Z

Even in a world of extremes, some events still stand out to me. This is one. All-time monthly records are being shattered. The size of this ridge across the western U.S. is truly striking for March, and we see a very clear climate change connection.Explore: csi.climatecentral.org/climate-shif…

— Zack Labe (@zacklabe.com) 2026-03-19T21:50:58.789Z

The ongoing record-breaking heat wave in the West will continue while expanding across the Central U.S. through the weekend. Based on preliminary data, there have been around 50 March high temperature records broken since March 17 and more than 150 daily high temperature records broken.

— National Weather Service (@nws.noaa.gov) 2026-03-20T19:00:30.604Z

Record setting temperatures are expected to continue over the next several days. Most areas will see temperature departures of 25 to 35 degrees higher than normal for this time of year. However, some locations in the central Plains on Saturday could see departures exceed 40 degrees from normal!

— National Weather Service (@nws.noaa.gov) 2026-03-20T19:00:44.042Z

New Study: Monster Heat Dome made 800X more likely and 5°F hotter due to climate heating!! Study via @WWAttribution #heatwave #climatechange#weather #california #arizona

— Jeff Berardelli (@weatherprof.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T20:45:15.503Z

“Our civilization has evolved only over the last 6,000 to 8,000 years, when climate has been stable, so we are profoundly unsuited to the types of shocks that we’re seeing today,” Hayhoe said. “Human systems sort of bend to a certain point. And then, at some point, they break.”

— Benjamin McKean (@blmckean.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T02:01:15.196Z

While our fav little ski place at the southern end of the Rockies has had its ups and downs, I've never, ever seen it close this early any time in the last 20 years. 😰Then there's the massive early season dumps at Banff and late-season snow in the Northeast.This truly is 'global weirding'

— Katharine Hayhoe (@katharinehayhoe.com) 2026-03-20T16:28:37.705Z

Rightwing narrative fuelling false belief UK public oppose net zero, study findswww.theguardian.com/environment/…

— Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T10:42:05.869Z

The climate crisis is spiraling out of our control. 1000s of fish washed up dead last summer in the Gulf of Mexico because the water was too hot to hold oxygen. We can't solve this crisis if we keep expanding the problem. #ActOnClimate#climate #energy #renewables #go100re

— Mike Hudema (@mikehudema.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T18:07:05.377Z

MRG grad student Chris Larson spoke on the warmest interglacial of the last 500 kyr at International Arctic Workshop talk "Meteoric beryllium-10 in Camp Century subglacial sediment suggests the ice sheet was absent from NW Greenland for at least 8000 years during MIS 11"@michaelemann.bsky.social

— Mann Research Group (@mannresearch.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T20:39:11.615Z

"I cannot make my days longer so I strive to make them better." (Henry David Thoreau was wrong, as it turns out)

— Michael E. Mann (@michaelemann.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T17:59:09.350Z

More From the Weather Department:

Good news, the Morrill Fire in Nebraska is now 98% contained. This will free up firefighting resources for fires that erupt in the current SW U.S. heatwave. The Morrill Fire burned an area 83% of the size of Rhode Island, and ranks as the 9th-largest continental U.S. fire since 1900.

— Dr. Jeff Masters (@drjeffmasters.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T00:03:48.046Z

🤓 WxGeek moment w/ emojis 🎈➡️📈➡️🌡➕☀️🟰🥵 🧵 Now for the details: We've been crushing temperature records lately, including all-time monthly records. Meteorologists launch weather balloons 2x a day to get a 📷 of… https://x.com/NWSBayArea/status/2035083753165340736

— NWS Bay Area Bot (@nwsbayareabot.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T20:54:12.109334Z

Not only does that break the all-time monthly 850mb record for March (which was just set earlier this week!), but it also beats the record for April, too. It's just one more way to put the sheer scale of this heat wave into context beyond just s… https://x.com/NWSBayArea/status/2035083758437609896

— NWS Bay Area Bot (@nwsbayareabot.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T20:54:29.889037Z

Today (March 19) is the first day of the year with the high temp has been 0F (-17.8C) or higher every year in Fairbanks 121-year climate history. At 1215pm AKDT it’s -10F but with rather thick cirrus clouds. Will it make it? #akwx #Climate @carrieinfbx.bsky.social @leahwrenn.bsky.social

— Rick Thoman (@alaskawx.bsky.social) 2026-03-19T20:30:31.967Z

Join me at Noon AKDT today for a review of the cold 2025-26 winter and early spring in Alaska and the climate outlook for April and beyond. Register at this link, and all ACCAP webinars are recorded, so you can view the webinar at your convenience. #akwx #Climateuaf-accap.org/event/march2…

— Rick Thoman (@alaskawx.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T16:29:45.952Z

Today’s News on Sustainable Energy, Traditional Polluting Energy from Fossil Fuel, and the Green Revolution:

actually, if anything, it's just the opposite:apnews.com/article/midd…

— Michael E. Mann (@michaelemann.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T20:18:25.785Z

— Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T18:02:32.034Z

UK solar surge amid global gas market volatility. www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/residential-…

— Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T10:38:14.440Z

DOGE Goes Nuclear: How Trump Invited Silicon Valley Into America’s Nuclear Power Regulator#nuclearwww.propublica.org/article/trum…

— Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T16:21:56.315Z

www.ft.com/content/7f09…

— Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T11:09:26.050Z

How do you protect a £40bn #nuclear plant from the power of the sea?#climatewww.itv.com/watch/news/h…

— Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T10:21:23.320Z

Au revoir coastal nuclear Models based on peer reviewed data – UK new #nuclear at #SizewellC will be almost entirely cut off by flood water at least once per year by the time it's built.And will only get worse.

— Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T12:29:29.711Z

#ClimateEmergency #auspol #USPOL #USA #us #uspoli #poli #politics #cdnpoli #canada #MeidasMighty #america #Ethics #ClimateJustice #bcpoli #abpoli #topoli #Klimapolitik #ClimateActionNow #ClimateChange #Climate #Ecosocialism #environment #Nature #BCClimateAction #capitalism #FalseConsciousness

— Rob Duncan (@robduncan.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T16:47:13.305Z

More on the Environment, Nature and Science:

High time @unep.org push for international norms against targeting energy infrastructure in war. The ecological damage is multifold – wastage of precious resources, toxic pollution and carbon emissions. Revisiting my article for @forbes.com cc: @katharinehayhoe.com www.forbes.com/sites/saleem…

— Saleem H. Ali (@saleemali.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T01:41:55.201Z

#Fukushima Daiichi #nuclear power plant gaping hole in the thick-walled steel container of the core, with lumps of likely melted fuel debris hanging from it, in a first sighting of a pressure vessel bottom since the meltdown 15 years ago. www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/art…

— Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T10:28:41.698Z

#Nuclear's cleanup cost threatens the expansion dream p.dw.com/p/5AhHt?at_m…

— Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T10:24:50.434Z

There is also Ecosia, which will plant trees for you while you search! www.ecosia.org

— Katharine Hayhoe (@katharinehayhoe.com) 2026-03-20T17:01:39.899Z

My contribution to #PoemsAbout #Melt@alanparrywriter.co.uk @thebrokenspine.co.uk The GlassI think this was the first non sonnet poem that I ever wrote.#poetry #blueskypoet #poem #evironment #climateChange #Climate

— Quill of Mnemosyne (@sonnetsmith.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T12:36:29.598Z

The spring equinox is one hour away (14:45 GMT), and uh, here's literally the weather in my neighborhood right now. Happy spring, everybody! (And where my dad lives, they're smashing all-time heat records; it's going to be 36°C today. Absurd.)#springequinox #iceland #weather #climate #heatwave

— Jessý Potato (@markdownhandsup.bsky.social) 2026-03-20T13:41:14.845Z

If you like these posts and my work on record temperature ratios, please contribute via my PayPal widget on this site. Thanks in advance for any support. 

Guy Walton… “The Climate Guy“

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *