The northern hemisphere has the highest snow extension of the last 20 years. In Spain that sounds like science fiction

While the extension of Arctic Ice was in January the second lowest Since there are satellite data, snow is giving a surprise. According to the NOAAsnow levels in the northern hemisphere are the highest in 20 years.

Although the truth is that Europe (even less in Spain) we are not noticing it.

What about snow in the northern hemisphere? It is soon to know. As we knowthere are many descriptors of winter in the hemisphere that may seem inconsistent with each other, but that are only a sample of the enormous climate complexity of the earth.

As with Any extraordinary event (And, of course, this amount of snow is) now it remains a whole series of analysis to know what is behind and what we can expect in the coming years.

So much to Nevado? So we know more detailed analysis, the increase in snow extension It is mainly due to the strong snowfall that were in early February in Asia and North America. Especially, a huge snowstorm that lasted a week caused many problems In Russia in general and In the distant this Russian in particular.

In the US and Canada too They are having more Normal Snowbut the Russian storm is the key push for these historical records.

And in Spain? On our side, the extension of snow in Europe is below the average. And, as a result that snowfalls are becoming more irregular, higher levels, Spain is even worse.

In the Cantabrian Mountains, for example, We are at 72.6 hm³ Faced with the average of 250. In the Pyrenees, 764 compared to 1400 of the average of the last 10 years. On the other hand, the central and Iberian systems accumulate about 5 hm³ compared to 50 on average.

The only one Discordant note is Sierra Nevada: The surroundings of the most southern ski resort in Europe has 12.7 hm³. That is, not only is it twice as the central mountain ranges, but almost exactly the same amount of snow as in the average of the last decade.

Little snow … For now. As Nacho Espinos explained in Meteored“just 7% of the mountainous surface in Spain” is covered with snow. In aggregate terms, there are 1,160.9 hm³ of snow compared to 2,000 average.

Of course, we will have to wait to see how the year ends: in the 2023/2024 season, the great snow peak came between March and April. And, honestly, time is unpredictable that (despite the “advanced spring” we are living) any scenario is reasonable.

Image | NOAA | Joan Oger

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