We're quickly heading to the point of no return for our climate.
Pictured above: A German ski slope barely has enough snow. Image credits: Sebastian Willnow/dpa/picture alliance, Deutsche Welle.
We're having a massive snow problem. No, not like the Hunger Games; more like the weather. All around the globe, snowfall is declining rapidly as temperatures and pollution increase.
While data shows more extreme winter storms and increased snowfall in some parts of the globe, it is likely that there will be far fewer of these years and eventually, none at all. In fact, ever since 1972, snowfall has declined 2.7% globally, especially in the Northern Hemisphere.
While some may be rejoicing at the lack of shoveling, snow is critical for our environment because it stores water as snow during “wet times” and releases it when water is harder to come by, according to University of Washington environmental engineering professor Jessica Lundquist. This snowpack was actually found to provide over 50% of the water supply in the western United States. A 2015 study found that 2 billion people who rely on this melting snow for water face declines of up to 67% in areas of Asia, the Mediterranean, and parts of North Africa. This challenge is not as pronounced all around the globe, but in areas like the American Midwest, the impact will be detrimental.
In order to combat the detrimental effects of this change, researchers in Yosemite are using aerial imagery to map these snow patches and determine their cruciality to the environment as well as how water resources should be shifted to better suit the climate.
While this issue certainly cannot be tackled by individual citizens alone, everyone must do their part to make sustainable choices when possible: it is the only way to tackle this lack of snow. Don’t be surprised if we go without a snow day again this school year.
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