Less than 40 percent of the Alps was covered by snow in February – a record low – data from France’s Centre for Space Studies of the Biosphere (Cesbio) shows.
Images from satellite observations by Cesbio highlight the impact of climate change on exceptionally low snow levels throughout the winter – but especially in February, when snowfall was absent for almost the entire month.
Snow-covered areas in the French Alps and parts of the Swiss Alps saw a drastic drop below normal levels between 27 January and 21 February – with 26 consecutive days below the known minimums.
Meanwhile, photos published on French news sites showed holidaymakers navigating through mud instead of the traditional snowy landscapes.
The average snow-covered area throughout February in the alpine regions was recorded at 37.7 percent, while last month was registered as globally the warmest on record according to data from the EU’s Copernicus satellite.
