Using recently developed techniques we estimate the snow and ice-thickness distributions within each of 25 km × 25 km gridcells for the Arctic basin with the aid of satellite laser altimetry data from the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat). These data are then combined with meteorological data from the ECMWF Interim reanalysis dataset and a thermodynamic model to estimate the ocean–ice–atmosphere heat exchange and ice production during the fall and winter seasons for the 2003–2008 time period. Despite the thinning of the Arctic sea-ice cover during this time period, mean ice growth rates for consecutive fall and winter measurement periods remained relatively constant. An increased ice growth rate which may be expected from a thinner ice cover appeared to be balanced by warmer temperatures. An increased ocean–atmosphere heat flux is also observed mainly in the fall seasons due to the thinning of the ice cover. However, the winter 2008 period did show an increase in the ocean–atmosphere heat flux after a large decline in the amount of ice with thickness greater than 3 m.