The Arctic reaches its maximum sea ice in March each year and then starts a six-month melt season. The National Snow and Ice Data Center said the peak measurement taken Saturday was 5.53 million square miles (14.33 million square kilometers) — about 30,000 square miles (80,000 square kilometers) smaller than the lowest previous peak in 2017.

The extent of sea ice blanketing the Arctic this winter fell to the lowest level on record, researchers announced this week, an ominous signal about the effects of climate change in the world’s fastest-warming region.