The climatic conditions over the Arctic Ocean are strongly influenced by the inflow of warm Atlantic water conveyed by the Norwegian Atlantic Current (NwAC). Based on sea surface height data from altimetry, we develop a dynamical measure of the NwAC transport to diagnose its spatiotemporal variability. We find that the Fram Strait Branch west of Spitsbergen is regulated by regional atmospheric conditions. In combination with hydrography, we find that warm anomalies propagate polewards after anomalously strong flow events in the southern Norwegian Sea and reach the Fram Strait after approximately 12 months. Our results are valuable for the predictability of the oceanic heat and salt transport that eventually enters into the Arctic.