This varies with snow load, which is reportedly higher because of the warmer open water area in 2012. (drtimball.com)
When seasonal ice retreat occurs early, low - albedo open water areas are exposed early, which gain a lot of energy from the sun. (nsidc.org)
In the Arctic Ocean, the largest losses have been in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas where large open water areas opened up within the ice pack. (arcus.org)