This good agreement between projections and observations is consistent with the conclusion that initial conditions of spring sea ice are often an important factor in determining ice development over the course of the summer. (searcharcticscience.org)
That's important, she said, because cloud cover influences when in spring sea ice begins melting. (scientificamerican.com)
What happened in summer 2012, and Figure 3, suggest that spring sea ice extent is probably not the best variable on which to base summer Outlooks. (searcharcticscience.org)