Apologies for the misunderstanding. Here is the revised response:
According to a new study published in the journal Nature, climate change is shrinking snowpack in many places around the world. The study, which analyzed snow amounts since 1981, found that numerous river basins that used to be regularly covered in snow are now experiencing significant declines in snowpack. The research identified a critical threshold for the future of snowpacks in the Northern Hemisphere, with winter temperature averages above 17.6 degrees (-8 degrees Celsius) leading to rapid melting of snowpack.
Lead author Alexander Gottlieb, an Earth systems scientist at Dartmouth College, warned that regions with winter temperatures above this threshold are likely to face accelerated losses of snowpack due to warming. The study highlighted the importance of spring snowpack in providing drinking and irrigation water to billions of people. However, climate change is causing larger and earlier melts, resulting in water scarcity and other related issues.
The study examined 169 river basins in the northern hemisphere and found a 40-year downward trend in 70 of them, an increasing trend in around a dozen, and no trend in the remaining basins. In 23 basins where snowpack is shrinking, the researchers demonstrated that climate change significantly contributes to the melt. Interestingly, in eight eastern Siberian river basins, climate change has led to an increase in snowpack due to higher precipitation and cooler temperatures.
The impacts of snowpack decline are particularly evident in Europe and North America. Significant losses in snowpack have been observed in basins such as the Great Salt Lake, Merrimack, Connecticut, Susquehanna, Hudson, Delaware, Neva, Vistula, Dnieper, Don, and Danube. The upper reaches of the Colorado River basin in Colorado and parts of Wyoming are also experiencing shrinking snowpack, despite winter temperature averages around 23 degrees (-5 degrees Celsius) still being cold enough for snow to melt.
The study used climate attribution methods to identify the fingerprints of human-caused warming on snowpack decline. By comparing the last 40 years of a warming world to computer model simulations without climate change, the researchers highlighted the increasing risk posed by climate change and the urgency to take action in mitigating its impacts.
Waleed Abdalati, an ice scientist at the University of Colorado, emphasized the value of the 17.6-degree threshold in understanding the magnitude and location of the risk. As global warming accelerates, snowpack changes will occur more rapidly, exacerbating water supply challenges in many regions.
The tourism industry, particularly ski resorts, is already experiencing the consequences of reduced snowfall. While some resorts have adopted snowmaking technology and invested in higher elevation ski runs as adaptive measures, addressing climate change remains crucial. The diminishing snowpack serves as a visible reminder of the need for climate action.
As climate change continues to worsen snowpack decline, billions of people who rely on this essential water source will face growing difficulties. The study underscores the vital role of humanity’s response to climate change in shaping the future of snowpacks and water resources.
