Spring snow cover loss exceeds model predictions

Abstract

Spring snow cover extent in the Northern Hemisphere has declined to record lows in recent years, Derksen and Brown report. They analyzed spring (April–June) snow cover extent from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration snow chart climate data record. They found that recent years show statistically significant reductions in snow cover compared to the historic record. In Eurasia, new records for the lowest spring snow cover extent have been set every year since 2008, and in North America, record lows have been set in 3 of the past 5 years.