It snows a third less in the Alps than a hundred years ago

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Between 1920 and 2020 snowfall in the Alps decreased by an average of 34 percent. The results come from a study coordinated by Eurac Research and were published in the International Journal of Climatology. The study also takes a closer look at the effect of altitude, temperature and precipitation on snowfall.

The study works with data from 46 locations in the Alps and the most recent was collected at modern weather stations. Historical data was collected from handwritten records of the amount of snow that fell at a given location.

Thanks to cooperation with meteorological authorities, environmental agencies, voluntary associations and the University of Trent it was possible to combine all the information. After evaluation this data was interpreted by a team led by Eurac Research who then developed a comprehensive picture of snowfall in the Alps between 1920 and 2020.

In the Alps, there has long been a negative trend in terms of fresh snowfall. The largest decrease occurred after 1980 this date also coincides with a sharp rise in temperatures. Negative trends mostly concern locations below two thousand meters above sea level and are mainly found in the southern regions of Italy, Slovenia and the Austrian Alps.

The research team also carefully monitored the alpine regions in the north which include Switzerland and North Tyrol. There is an increase in precipitation during the winter but at lower altitudes due to higher temperatures it increasingly turns into rain. The good news is that in the higher elevations the snowfall is sustained thanks to the low temperatures. Unfortunately in the south-western and south-eastern regions of the Alps temperatures have risen so much that even at higher altitudes the precipitation is turning into rain.

Snow plays an important role as a water reservoir and feeds mountain streams and glaciers. Thanks to its gradual melting in the spring the water supply is replenished gradually. The drastic loss of snow in the Alps has a negative impact on winter sports but also on all other activities that rely on water.

Source:Phys/Editorial