Well, I wonder whether 'black ice' is present in the artic, probably . . . . One of the difficulties is appraising the ice extent is the unknown thickness of the ice . . . the satellite data gives us a sense of the extent of the ice but not its thickness and possibly more important the actual temperature of the ice itself. Water at standard pressure has to be about 30 °F to be liquid. Water at standard pressure must be ice below 20 °F and can go all the way to absolute zero . . . Santa's apparently safe for the remainder of this year.