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The reduction in snow cover on Mount Everest's glaciers is a result of climate change, which is endangering water resources and increasing the risks of forest fires in the region.
Scientists say the snow line in the Everest region is rising higher, indicating warmer temperatures and drier winter months. Snow is now often confined to the highest peaks, threatening water supplies for millions of people and creating conditions for early wildfires. Using satellite imagery, researchers have recorded an unusually high snow line in January 2025, suggesting new climate trends in the region.
Glaciologist Mauri Pelto notes that the last year the snowline was close to normal was 2022. He suggests that changes in snow cover in recent years may indicate a “new normal” for the Himalayas. An important characteristic of glaciers in this region is that they usually accumulate snow during the monsoon period, when 75% of the annual precipitation falls in the summer, but in the winter months, the lack of snowfall and the process of sublimation significantly reduce the amount of snow.
Sublimation, the process by which snow evaporates into the atmosphere without melting, is the main cause of the rise in the snowline. Strong winds and high temperatures in winter lead to significant losses of snow cover, as was observed in January 2025, when the snowline rose by 150 meters. This phenomenon, unlike traditional snowmelt, is the result of dry and warm winter weather, which makes it difficult for snow to accumulate on glaciers.
These changes have serious implications for water resources in Nepal and other countries that depend on water from mountain glaciers. Reduced snow cover threatens water supplies for agriculture and other industries. In addition, high temperatures and dryness increase the likelihood of an early start to the fire season, as already observed in 2021. All this underlines the seriousness of climate change, which is changing not only winter conditions but also a range of environmental and social aspects in the region.
