Is it over? Is winter really over? It’s been such a weird winter, no one can tell for sure!
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Wintertime in 1936 |
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As much as 70 percent of Alpine snow could disappear by the end of the century as global warming increasingly cuts in on the annual ski season. That’s the conclusion of Swiss researchers in a paper analyzing how much snow could be saved if countries seriously tackle ‘climate change’.Something's missing! |
Even the texture and appearance of ‘snow’ is changing. Stories of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” may be story-book history. Snow color has been changing in some area.
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Changes in snow cover are caused by pollution from industrial places like China. Dark particles are settling on the snow.This residue is often a dark soot. Charlie Zender, associate
professor of Earth system science at UCI and co-author of a climatic
study states:Chinese scenery |
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Things definitely are changing. In the Nordic area,winter
skiers have snow to enjoy until April, but heavy snow-cover is usually
found in the high country and those areas are currently seeing
less snow.The northern half of Scandinavia, with the exception of
coastal Norway, is a safe bet for snow from December to April. In the
populated southern areas, the winters are very different from each
other, with either knee-deep snow, slush or bare ground. In the northern
resorts, the winter sports season keeps on well into May. Nordic skiers
still enjoying the white stuff at Europe’s resorts this month should
enjoy it while it lasts.
In some areas, skiers have been reporting some strange snow-conditions. White snow is changing color!
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California and Colorado skiers have become annoyed by brown snow. This has been the result of desert winds
Dustcovered brown snow |
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While Coloradans and Californians detest the appearance of brown snow caused by desert winds from the southwest, it’s pink snow we should all be worried about.
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A recent climate report explains that while pink snow is nothing new, it’s beginning to be a problem. Its rapid growth is a tell-tale sign of climate change and, again, causing melting glaciers across the world. Pinksnow |
Pink Algsae |
But what is pink snow?
Pink-colored flakes found in the arctic snows are appearing as early spring flowers, but this pink snow is much like a weed and is actually an algae. In a newly released study, researchers found this brightly colored algae from sixteen separate glaciers from Norway, Greenland, Iceland, and Sweden, is actually causing the ice to melt faster. More dark cover, more retained heat.In turn, this is making the algae expand quicker, creating a vicious cycle born out of global warming. “The algae need liquid water in order to bloom. Therefore the melting of snow and ice surfaces controls the abundance of the algae". The more melting, the more algae.
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"With temperatures rising globally, the snow algae phenomenon will likely increase, leading to more heat retained and not reflected away by snow” as stated by climate officials. The algae’s darker color causes the light to be absorbed and this accelerates melting. Iceshelf affected by warming |
Over 90 percent of the entire Greenland Ice Sheet was affected by surface melting and this will likely re-occur with increasing frequency in the near future . If we continue our refusal to accept the facts, we humans are creating the perfect environment for these tiny red( or black) predators to grow and reduce the arctic’s ability to reflect light and keep our planet cool. European skiers will have to go higher into the mountains to continue finding snow-covered slopes on which to enjoy and we might have to wear daily ski-masks as they already do in China. Time for action?
Time to sell our skis?