Editing North Pole (section)

==Climate, sea ice at North Pole==
[[File:2007 Arctic Sea Ice.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Climate change in the Arctic|Arctic ice shrinkage]]s of 2007 compared to 2005 and also compared to the 1979–2000 average.]]
{{main|Climate of the Arctic}}
{{See also|Climate change in the Arctic}}
The North Pole is substantially warmer than the [[South Pole]] because it lies at sea level in the middle of an ocean (which acts as a reservoir of heat), rather than at altitude on a continental land mass. Despite being an ice cap, the northernmost weather station in Greenland has a tundra climate (Köppen ''ET'') due to the July and August mean temperatures peaking just above freezing.{{efn|Data is from a Greenlandic weather station at {{coord|83|38|N|033|22|W|type:landmark_scale:30000_region:GL|name=Greenlandic Weather Station}} located {{convert|709|km|abbr=on}} from the North Pole}}

Winter temperatures at the [[#Greenlandic Weather Station|northernmost weather station]] in Greenland can range from about {{convert|-50|to|-13|C}}, averaging around {{convert|-31|C}}, with the North Pole being slightly colder. However, a freak storm caused the temperature to reach {{convert|0.7|C}} for a time at a [[World Meteorological Organization]] buoy, located at 87.45°N, on 30 December 2015. It was estimated that the temperature at the North Pole was between {{convert|30|and|35|F|order=flip}} during the storm.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/12/30/freak-storm-has-pushed-north-pole-to-freezing-point-50-degrees-above-normal/|title=Freak storm pushes North Pole 50 degrees above normal to melting point|first1=Angela|last1=Fritz|date=30 December 2015|via=washingtonpost.com|access-date=31 December 2015|archive-date=31 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151231045454/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/12/30/freak-storm-has-pushed-north-pole-to-freezing-point-50-degrees-above-normal/|url-status=live}}</ref> Summer temperatures (June, July, and August) average around the freezing point ({{convert|0|C|0}}). The highest temperature yet recorded is {{convert|13|C|}},<ref name = weather /> much warmer than the South Pole's record high of only {{convert|-12.3|C}}.<ref>[http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2563 "Antarctic Sun: Heat Wave"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523025538/http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2563 |date=23 May 2013 }}, U.S. Antarctic Program</ref> A similar{{Clarify|reason=How do freezing temperatures (i.e. temperatures below 0 degrees C) form a similar spike as the 13 degrees C?|date=December 2022}} spike in temperatures occurred on 15 November 2016 when temperatures hit freezing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://weather.com/news/climate/news/north-pole-above-freezing-siberia-cold-nov2016|title=Bizarre Temperatures: North Pole Rises Above Freezing While Parts of Russia Plunge Below -40 Degrees}}</ref> Yet again, February 2018 featured a storm so powerful that temperatures at Cape Morris Jesup, the world's northernmost weather station in Greenland, reached {{convert|6.1|C}} and spent 24 straight hours above freezing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/february-2018-heatwave-across-far-north|title=February 2018 heatwave across the Far North|publisher=NOAA|access-date=21 March 2018|archive-date=21 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321130712/https://www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/february-2018-heatwave-across-far-north|url-status=live}}</ref> Meanwhile, the pole itself was estimated to reach a high temperature of {{convert|1.6|C}}{{Clarify|reason=This does not correspond to the table. Why not?|date=December 2022}}. This same temperature of {{convert|1.6|C}} was also recorded at the [[Hollywood Burbank Airport]] in [[Los Angeles]] at the very same time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=lox|title=NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data|publisher=NOAA/NWS|access-date=21 March 2018|archive-date=11 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711032124/http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=lox|url-status=live}}</ref>

The sea ice at the North Pole is typically around {{convert|2|to|3|m|abbr=on}} thick,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20041111044309/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/11/1108_041108_north_pole.html Beyond "Polar Express": Fast Facts on the Real North Pole], National Geographic News</ref> although ice thickness, its spatial extent, and the fraction of open water within the ice pack can vary rapidly and profoundly in response to weather and climate.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sea Ice|url=http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/sotc/sea_ice.html|work=State of the Cryosphere|publisher=NSIDC|access-date=6 March 2012|archive-date=26 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121226153100/http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/sotc/sea_ice.html|url-status=live}}</ref>  Studies have shown that the average ice thickness has decreased in recent years.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081220144612/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3353930/Arctic-ice-thickness-drops-by-up-to-19-per-cent.html "Arctic ice thickness drops by up to 19 percent"], ''The Daily Telegraph'' (28 October 2008).</ref> It is likely that [[global warming]] has contributed to this, but it is not possible to attribute the recent abrupt decrease in thickness entirely to the observed warming in the Arctic.<ref>{{cite web|title=Model-Based Estimates of Change|url=http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/ch4s4-4-3-4.html|publisher=IPCC|access-date=6 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113052648/http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/ch4s4-4-3-4.html|archive-date=13 January 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Reports have also predicted that within a few decades the Arctic Ocean will be entirely free of ice in the summer.<ref>Jonathan Amos (12 December 2006). [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6171053.stm Arctic sea ice "faces rapid melt"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216113713/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6171053.stm |date=16 February 2009 }}, BBC.</ref> This may have significant commercial implications; see "Territorial claims", below.

The retreat of the Arctic sea ice will accelerate global warming, as less ice cover reflects less solar radiation, and may have serious climate implications by contributing to Arctic cyclone generation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Future of Arctic Climate and Global Impacts |url=http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/future/heat.html |publisher=NOAA |access-date=6 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909120812/http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/future/heat.html |archive-date=9 September 2013 }}</ref>
{{Weather box
|location = {{visible anchor|Greenlandic Weather Station}} at {{coord|83|38|N|033|22|W|type:landmark_scale:30000_region:GL|name=Greenlandic weather station}} located {{convert|709|km|abbr=on}} from the North Pole (eleven year average observations).
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C= -13
|Feb record high C= -14
|Mar record high C= -11
|Apr record high C= -6
|May record high C= 3
|Jun record high C= 10
|Jul record high C= 13
|Aug record high C= 12
|Sep record high C= 7
|Oct record high C= 9
|Nov record high C= 0.6
|Dec record high C= 0.7
|year record high C= 13
|Jan high C = -29
|Feb high C = -31
|Mar high C = -30
|Apr high C = -22
|May high C = -9
|Jun high C = 0
|Jul high C = 2
|Aug high C = 1
|Sep high C = 0
|Oct high C = -8
|Nov high C = -25
|Dec high C = -26
|year high C = 
|Jan mean C = -31 
|Feb mean C = -32
|Mar mean C = -31
|Apr mean C = -23
|May mean C = -11
|Jun mean C = -1
|Jul mean C = 1
|Aug mean C = 0
|Sep mean C = -1
|Oct mean C = -10
|Nov mean C = -27
|Dec mean C = -28
|year mean C = 
|Jan low C = -33
|Feb low C = -35
|Mar low C = -34
|Apr low C = -26
|May low C = -12
|Jun low C = -2
|Jul low C = 0
|Aug low C = -1
|Sep low C = -2
|Oct low C = -11
|Nov low C = -30
|Dec low C = -31
|year low C = 
|Jan record low C= -47
|Feb record low C= -50	
|Mar record low C= -50
|Apr record low C= -41
|May record low C= -24
|Jun record low C= -12
|Jul record low C= -2
|Aug record low C= -12
|Sep record low C= -31
|Oct record low C= -21
|Nov record low C= -41
|Dec record low C= -47	
|year record low C= -50
|Jan humidity= 83.5
|Feb humidity= 83.0
|Mar humidity= 83.0
|Apr humidity= 85.0
|May humidity= 87.5
|Jun humidity= 90.0
|Jul humidity= 90.0
|Aug humidity= 89.5
|Sep humidity= 88.0
|Oct humidity= 84.5
|Nov humidity= 83.0
|Dec humidity= 83.0
|year humidity= 
|source 1 = Weatherbase<ref name = weather>{{cite web
| url = http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=110340&cityname=Closest+Data+for+North+Pole+-+440+mi%2F709+km%2C+Greenland&units=#
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130314131802/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=110340&cityname=Closest+Data+for+North+Pole+-+440+mi%2F709+km%2C+Greenland&units=
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 14 March 2013
| title = CLOSEST DATA FOR NORTH POLE - 440 MI/709 KM, GREENLAND
| publisher = Weatherbase
| access-date = 19 September 2015
}}</ref>
|date=September 2015}}