Hi Marc,
I’ve been watching the Arctic and Antarctica ice analysis for many years. See:
https://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/ In terms of the Antarctic the ice extent in Antarctica is highly variable depending on sea currents and wind circulation. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Centre the 2021 winter in Antarctica was the second coldest on record. Since then the sea ice dropped off quite rapidly to a record low in March this year.
“The February 25 timing of the minimum was*only a day later than the 1981 to 2010 median date of February 24 for the minimum. Over the satellite record, the Antarctic minimum has occurred as early as February 15 and as late as March 6.
Average austral summer air temperatures at the 925 mb level (about 2,500 feet above sea level) over Antarctic sea ice regions have been near average. However, winds*have been much stronger and generally in a more northward direction, helping to break up the ice and melt it in warmer ocean waters. One exception was the Weddell Sea, where winds came more from the north, but that served to push the ice edge southward, reducing extent near the Antarctic Peninsula.
Since the minimum on February 25, ice growth has progressed at a near-average rate with growth around most of the continent, except off the coast of Dronning Maud Land and Enderby Land, which lie to the south of Africa”
SB