Is there a connection between La Niña events this fall (Sept, Oct, and Nov), and the very late freeze-up of sea ice in the Chukchi Sea? The Chukchi Sea has been freezing up later and later especially since 2003. In 2016, there was a very late freeze up. The following year in 2017, the Chukchi Sea experienced a record late freeze- up in December! This is unprecedented in the satellite record over the past 40 years. Is there a connection between the increased storm frequency in the western tropical Pacific, whose storms track northwards to ALaska and the late season freeze up in the Chukchi Sea?