West Antarctica is still below average b/c of the prolonged warmth of the Pacific since 2014.
Warmth? Or strong, sustained wind changes resulting in polynya formation that prevented sea ice from reforming? Don’t forget, there was record Antarctic sea ice extent back then—and NASA itself posted this commentary just last year about Arctic record low extent:
“The March 7, 2017, Arctic sea ice maximum extent was a record low, due to warmer-than-average temperatures, winds unfavorable to ice expansion, and a series of storms.”
I’m leaning more and more towards unusually strong, persistent winds as being largely the culprit for much of the polar ice cap brouhaha being bantered about.
sunshine hours 
East Antarctica ice is above the 1981-2010 mean. West Antarctica is still below average b/c of the prolonged warmth of the Pacific since 2014.
Warmth? Or strong, sustained wind changes resulting in polynya formation that prevented sea ice from reforming? Don’t forget, there was record Antarctic sea ice extent back then—and NASA itself posted this commentary just last year about Arctic record low extent:
“The March 7, 2017, Arctic sea ice maximum extent was a record low, due to warmer-than-average temperatures, winds unfavorable to ice expansion, and a series of storms.”
I’m leaning more and more towards unusually strong, persistent winds as being largely the culprit for much of the polar ice cap brouhaha being bantered about.