In shocking first, sea ice breaks off in mid-February

In shocking first, sea ice breaks off in mid-February

By: Laura RobertsonFor over a quarter-century, the Nome National Forest sprouted every year as old Christmas trees and wooden cutouts were placed onto the sea ice in front of Nome for months of late winter and spring. But last week, the cheerful snowmen and trees were dramatically lost, as the shorefast ice near Nome broke off unprecedently early. But what is more troubling than Christmas trees floating off into the distance is that weak sea ice…