Has snow level been declining in the alps and will it affect winter sports like skiing? #390

rufuspollock · 2024-01-17T10:11:18Z

rufuspollock
Jan 17, 2024
Maintainer

Seems that climate change is indeed affecting snow cover and depth substantially:

Observed snow depth trends in the European Alps: 1971 to 2019 states:

The average trend [from 1971 to 2019] among all stations for seasonal (November to May) mean snow depth was −8.4 % per decade, for seasonal maximum snow depth −5.6 % per decade, and for seasonal snow cover duration −5.6 % per decade.

and from Recent waning snowpack in the Alps is unprecedented in the last six centuries

the duration of current snowpack cover is 36 days shorter than the long-term mean, a decline that is unprecedented over the last six centuries.

Recent waning snowpack in the Alps is unprecedented in the last six centuries

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01575-3

Over the last 50 years, the Alps experienced a 5.6% reduction per decade in snow cover duration, which already affects a region where economy and culture revolve, to a large extent, around winter. Here we present evidence from 572 ring-width series extracted from a prostrate shrub (Juniperus communis L.) growing at high elevation in the Val Ventina, Italy. These ring-width records show that the duration of current snowpack cover is 36 days shorter than the long-term mean, a decline that is unprecedented over the last six centuries.

Observed snow depth trends in the European Alps: 1971 to 2019

https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/1343/2021/

Here, we present an Alpine-wide analysis of snow depth from six Alpine countries – Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland – including altogether more than 2000 stations of which more than 800 were used for the trend assessment. Using a principal component analysis and k-means clustering, we identified five main modes of variability and five regions which match the climatic forcing zones: north and high Alpine, north-east, north-west, south-east, and south and high Alpine. Linear trends of monthly mean snow depth between 1971 and 2019 showed decreases in snow depth for most stations from November to May. The average trend among all stations for seasonal (November to May) mean snow depth was −8.4 % per decade, for seasonal maximum snow depth −5.6 % per decade, and for seasonal snow cover duration −5.6 % per decade. Stronger and more significant trends were observed for periods and elevations where the transition from snow to snow-free occurs, which is consistent with an enhanced albedo feedback.

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Has snow level been declining in the alps and will it affect winter sports like skiing? #390

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Has snow level been declining in the alps and will it affect winter sports like skiing? #390

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rufuspollock Jan 17, 2024 Maintainer

Recent waning snowpack in the Alps is unprecedented in the last six centuries

Observed snow depth trends in the European Alps: 1971 to 2019

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rufuspollock
Jan 17, 2024
Maintainer