A late surge in Antarctica means 2017 won’t be the lowest maximum. That honor stays with 1986.
These are the Antarctica records for max and min sorted by max descending.
(Preliminary for 2017 because it may climb some more)
| Year | Min | Max | day Max | day Min | Avg Anomaly |
| 2014 | 3.548 | 20.201 | 263 | 52 | 1.146198915341 |
| 2013 | 3.679 | 19.608 | 274 | 50 | 0.893678367396 |
| 2012 | 3.111 | 19.478 | 266 | 54 | 0.387147239929 |
| 2006 | 2.487 | 19.36 | 264 | 51 | -0.169014783289 |
| 2009 | 2.671 | 19.299 | 267 | 53 | 0.418664668766 |
| 2005 | 2.804 | 19.295 | 272 | 49 | 0.064952339999 |
| 1998 | 2.772 | 19.244 | 258 | 56 | 0.108445490684 |
| 2000 | 2.582 | 19.159 | 272 | 49 | 0.129936857415 |
| 2004 | 3.259 | 19.124 | 252 | 51 | 0.344207349218 |
| 1980 | 2.521 | 19.092 | 267 | 57 | -0.380114783289 |
| 2007 | 2.723 | 19.086 | 272 | 50 | 0.057179737259 |
| 2010 | 2.842 | 18.998 | 249 | 47 | 0.476864668766 |
| 1999 | 2.707 | 18.981 | 273 | 51 | 0.130755079725 |
| 2011 | 2.319 | 18.954 | 266 | 53 | -0.129354509316 |
| 1985 | 2.602 | 18.931 | 254 | 50 | -0.009151681391 |
| 2015 | 3.544 | 18.912 | 275 | 49 | 0.784128253241 |
| 1981 | 2.694 | 18.856 | 261 | 51 | -0.200536701097 |
| 1996 | 2.597 | 18.831 | 267 | 56 | 0.151838496759 |
| 1994 | 3.083 | 18.827 | 243 | 43 | 0.144042750958 |
| 1983 | 2.843 | 18.811 | 263 | 55 | -0.247642180549 |
| 1997 | 2.264 | 18.792 | 265 | 58 | -0.239875057261 |
| 1988 | 2.639 | 18.785 | 277 | 55 | -0.119385162225 |
| 1995 | 3.33 | 18.762 | 269 | 55 | 0.164829052328 |
| 1993 | 2.281 | 18.71 | 263 | 50 | -0.209987386028 |
| 2003 | 3.626 | 18.68 | 268 | 48 | 0.339360559177 |
| 1991 | 2.554 | 18.671 | 273 | 58 | -0.085053139453 |
| 1982 | 2.89 | 18.55 | 246 | 54 | 0.016407547259 |
| 1987 | 3.01 | 18.524 | 258 | 52 | -0.184921590324 |
| 2016 | 2.578 | 18.518 | 241 | 48 | -0.46177898958 |
| 2001 | 3.441 | 18.494 | 271 | 50 | 0.042697545478 |
| 1992 | 2.492 | 18.467 | 255 | 54 | -0.218672432202 |
| 1990 | 2.784 | 18.379 | 273 | 53 | -0.220332591508 |
| 1984 | 2.382 | 18.37 | 266 | 58 | -0.168233781332 |
| 1979 | 2.911 | 18.361 | 256 | 48 | 0.078581100978 |
| 2008 | 3.692 | 18.298 | 247 | 51 | 0.622117185284 |
| 1989 | 2.723 | 18.274 | 266 | 51 | -0.204247660001 |
| 2002 | 2.697 | 18.116 | 252 | 51 | -0.408318892878 |
| 2017 | 2.075 | 18.06 | 281 | 60 | |
| 1986 | 2.953 | 18.027 | 261 | 65 | -0.548503824385 |

Reblogged this on Climate Collections.
The ice extent seems to have a delayed start of melting, after day 270, as it happened in 2011, 13 and 15. All odd years! 🙂
From the graph it appears that the maximum of 2017 is being set right now, ~ day 280, with an extent that looks larger than the previous local maximum ~ day 255.
This is in itself a record, i.e. the latest day in the year when the ice extent reached its maximum, and seems to show a tendency to resume the previous high levels.
Good point. Day of maximum is definitely a record at 282. (Extent rose by 5,000 sq km from 281 to 282)