Scientists have been absolutely floored by something they’ve observed in the Arctic lately. They’ve seen temperatures spike an incredible 36 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, which has resulted in record low levels of Arctic sea ice at a time when it is supposed to be expanding.

A buoy near the North Pole reported temperatures near 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the freezing point of water, which is way warmer than it should be at this time of year. It means that sea ice isn’t likely to spread much, and may even shrink, even though it’s the winter and sea ice should be expanding.

It’s a worrying sign for our environment, and it is upsetting the normal temperature patterns. Record cold temperatures have been reported over Siberia, for example, while the Arctic continues to warm. The strange patterns are certain to greatly affect our Earth in the coming decades.

A statement from the National Snow and Ice Data Center reads: “Average Arctic sea ice extent for November set a record low, reflecting unusually high air temperatures, winds from the south, and a warm ocean. Since October, Arctic ice extent has been more than two standard deviations lower than the long-term average. Antarctic sea ice extent quickly declined in November, also setting a record low for the month and tracking more than two standard deviations below average during the entire month. For the globe as a whole, sea ice cover was exceptionally low.”