Print article The 2020 Arctic Report Card, released this month by 134 researchers across Arctic nations, tells a story of change on sea and land. The past year was the second warmest in the Arctic region on record, with the second lowest sea ice extent. Rick Thoman, climate specialist at University of Alaska Fairbanks who served as the lead editor of the report card, said neither fact came as a surprise based on the trend from years prior. “Climate wise, more spectacular was the persistent warmth in Siberia,” Thoman said. Extreme wildfires in 2020 in the Sakha Republic of northern Russia coincided with unparalleled warm air temperatures and record snow loss in the region.