Story highlights NOAA's Arctic Report Card points to global warming at alarming rates.

Rising temperatures triggering a "massive decline in sea ice and snow," says report.

(CNN) The Arctic is heating up twice as fast as the rest of the world -- triggering a "massive decline in sea ice and snow," according to a new federal report.

On Tuesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its 11th annual Arctic Report Card, which compiles data from 61 scientists in 11 countries.

"Rarely have we seen the Arctic show a clearer, stronger or more pronounced signal of persistent warming and its cascading effects on the environment than this year," Jeremy Mathis, director of NOAA's Arctic Research Program, said in a statement.

Highest air temperatures since 1990

Mathis said that, while the science is clearer, researchers must continue to observe the Arctic to better inform decisions "on environmental health and food security as well as emerging opportunities for commerce."

Read More