The surface radiation budget of the polar regions strongly influences ice growth and melt. Thermodynamic sea ice models therefore require accurate, yet computationally efficient methods of computing radiative fluxes. In this study a variety of simple parameterizations of downwelling shortwave and longwave radiation fluxes at the Arctic surface are examined. Parameterized fluxes are compared to in situ measurements over an annual cycle. Results suggest that existing parameterizations can estimate the downwelling shortwave flux to within 2% in the mean, with a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of about 4% for clear skies and 21% for cloudy conditions. Parameterized longwave fluxes are accurate to within 1% in the mean, with RMSE values of 6% for both clear and cloudy skies. On the basis of these results, two parameterization schemes are recommended to estimate radiation forcings in sea ice models for Arctic applications. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1996