Output from six regional sea ice-ocean climate model simulations of the arctic seas is compared to investigate the models' ability to accurately reproduce the observed late winter mean sea surface salinity. The results indicate general agreement within the Nordic seas, strong differences on the arctic continental shelves, and the presence of a climate drift that leads to a high salinity bias in most models within the Beaufort Gyre. The latter is highly sensitive to the wind forcing and to the simulation of freshwater sources on the shelves and elsewhere. ¿ 2001 American Geophysical Union