Global Outlook for Ice & Snow

Photo: Artis Rams/iStock

Snow

Mean monthly snow-cover extent in the Northern Hemisphere has declined at a rate of 1.3 per cent per decade over the last 40 years with greatest losses in the spring and summer. Major reductions in snow cover are projected for mid- latitudes by the end of this century. Parts of the Ca- nadian Arctic and Siberia are projected to receive in- creased snow fall. Air temperatures are projected to continue increasing in many mountainous regions, which will raise snow lines and cause other changes in mountain snow cover. Snow is an important ecological factor. Increased fre- quency of snow thaw due to rise in air temperatures changes the properties of snow cover, with implica- tions for plants and animals that interact with snow.

Projected changes in amount of snow cover will affect the structure of ecosystems. Snow cover is a major influence on climate due to its high reflectivity of sunlight and its insulating proper- ties. Decreases in snow-cover extent will act as a posi- tive feedback to global warming by changing the re- flectivity of the land surface. Changes in snow cover have a dramatic impact on wa- ter resources. Snow in mountain regions contributes to water supplies for almost one-sixth of the world’s population. Changes in snow cover affect human well-being through influences on water resources, agriculture, infrastructure, livelihoods of Arctic indigenous people, environmental hazards and winter recreation.

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GLOBAL OUTLOOK FOR ICE AND SNOW