The APEC Climate Center (APCC) has expanded its monthly long-range sea surface temperature (SST) forecasts from the low and mid latitudes to the entire global ocean, including the Arctic and Antarctic.

Until now, the forecasts covered roughly 40°S–40°N for the next six months. The new service extends the domain to 90°S–90°N, so users can now also follow SST changes in the Arctic and Southern Oceans.

The maps show how much the average SST for four overlapping three-month periods over the next six months is expected to differ from normal (1993–2016 average).

According to the forecast issued on 15 October 2026 for November 2026–April 2027, SST in the central Arctic Ocean is expected to be generally 0.2–0.6°C above normal. In particular, the Barents and Kara Seas are projected to be more than 1°C above normal in December–February, exceeding 1.8°C in places. By contrast, the Chukchi Sea is expected to be slightly below normal in November–January, showing marked regional differences.

Above-normal SST can delay sea-ice formation, so the forecasts can serve as baseline information for assessing sea-ice changes and conditions.

The improved global and polar SST forecasts are available to everyone as maps on the APCC website.

URL: https://www.apcc21.org/prediction/global/sst