Climate Change Could Lead to More Snow at Altitude
30th September 2024
Last modified on October 5th, 2024
After significant September snow in the eastern Alps and heavy rainfall lower down in central Europe scientists say such incidents are likely to be more frequent.
Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth.
The last five years were on average around 2.3C warmer than the second half of the 19th Century, according to the Copernicus climate service.
This not only brings much more frequent and intense heatwaves, but also more extreme rainfall, particularly over north and central Europe.
The picture is more complicated in southern Europe, due to shifts in large-scale weather patterns.
The floods in central Europe earlier in September led to unprecedented amounts of autum snow at altitude in the Alps.
Over 2m was recorded in parts of the eastern Alps in Austria:
- Huge amounts of autumn snow falling in the Alps
- Austrian Alps hammered by huge autumn snowfall
- Heavy September snow hits the eastern Alps
It has led to some resorts opening areas early:
- First ski resorts in the Alps open
- Autumn ski season gets underway in the Alps
- Another ski area in Austria opens for autumn skiing
Stubai, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
The simplest reason for more intense rainfall in a hotter world is that a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture – about 7% for every 1C.
This extra moisture can lead to heavier rainfall and that can mean snow at altitude.
The figures come from The World Weather Attribution, WWA, and are reported on the BBC.
