Will there be open water at the North Pole in August 2020? Above images show, on the left, sea surface temperatures on August 4, 2020, with a forecast on the right for August 9, 2020. On the image at the left, the center of the Arctic Basin (pale-blue) still has a sea surface temperature below 0°C (or 32°F). Around that pale-blue area is a blue area where sea surface temperatures are 0 to 2°C (or 32 to 35.6°F). Seawater will freeze and stay frozen at about −2 °C (28 °F). The sea surface of the Arctic Ocean contains less salt, so the sea ice will stay frozen longer, even as temperatures rise, but it will melt at 0°C (or 32°F). As the images show, the blue area where sea surface temperatures are at or above 0°C (or 32°F), is encroaching upon the pale-blue area at the center of the Arctic Basin, and appears to reach the North Pole at August 9, 2020. Hat-tip to Albert Kallio for pointing at this. Above combination image shows the running twelve-month averages of global-mean (top) and Euro...