Antarctic sea ice hit its third-lowest winter peak since satellite monitoring began, extending over about 17.59 million square kilometres on 14 September 2026. That was roughly 1 million square kilometres short of the long-term average. The four smallest winter maximums ever recorded have all come in the last four years. The ice normally peaks in September and shrinks to its minimum in February. Satellite records go back to late 1978, with passive microwave sensors used to track ice extent. Between 1979 and 2014, Antarctic sea ice actually grew by about 1% per decade, but steep declines have been seen since 2016.