The Northwest Passage provides a shorter transit route connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean but ever-present sea ice has prevented its practical navigation. Sea ice area in the northern route of the Northwest Passage on September 30, 2024 fell to a minimum of 4×10³ km² or ~3% of its total area, the lowest ice area observed since 1960. This paper describes the unique processes that contributed to the record low sea ice area in the northern route of the Northwest Passage in 2024.