Snow cover
What
is happening to snow cover in Australia?
Observations show a decline in snow depth in Australia's alpine
region over the last 50 years, although there is a great deal of
annual variability.
Observed snow cover trends
- Warming trends are slightly greater at higher
elevations.
- Over the past 50 years there has been a small increase in
alpine precipitation in New South Wales, and a small decrease
in Victoria.
- Some alpine sites have shown a weak decline in maximum snow
depth over the period 1957 to 2002. Close analysis at one site
indicates a 10 per cent decrease in snow depth since 1962.
- Some alpine sites have shown a moderate decline in mid-late
season snow depths (August to September). Close analysis at one
site indicates a 40 per cent decrease in spring snow depth since
1962.
Source: Climate variability, climate change, and the Australian snow season, Neville Nicholls
Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre, in Australian Meterology Magazine 54:177-185, Figure 2
The figure above shows time series of maximum snow depth (broken line) and
snow depth at first observation in October (solid line) at Spencers
Creek in New South Wales. Linear trends indicated with thick lines.