The Crossbill News Desk
The snow cover atop Mount Everest has retreated by 150 metres, indicating a significant lack of snow accumulation during the winter season of 2024-2025, researchers have noted.
A study of NASA satellite images from October 2023 to early January 2025 has revealed a consistent rise in the snow line on the world’s highest peak, according to a report by news agency PTI. Glaciologist Mauri Pelto, a professor of environmental science at Nichols College, US, noted that this trend was evident throughout January in both 2024 and 2025.
At 8,849 metres above sea level, Mount Everest is situated between Nepal and Tibet.
The ‘snow line’ marks the elevation above which snow remains year-round, and its upward shift suggests a warming climate. A rising snow line—where melting occurs at lower altitudes, pushing the boundary higher—points to increasing temperatures and changing weather patterns in the region.
Pelto noted that recent winters, including those of 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025, have been marked by warmer and drier conditions, leading to a decrease in snow cover, elevated snow lines, and an increase in forest fires.
Despite occasional snowfall early in each winter, the snow cover has not persisted, indicating continued glacier retreat even at altitudes above 6,000 metres.
The primary driver of snow loss at these high altitudes is sublimation, a process where ice directly transitions into vapor. Observations suggest a daily loss of up to 2.5 millimetres due to sublimation, significantly impacting glacier mass and contributing to its retreat.
In December 2024, Nepal recorded only 20-25% of its normal precipitation levels, with drier conditions particularly affecting the eastern regions.
Above-average temperatures exacerbated extreme drought conditions in several provinces, including Koshi Province. The dry spell has continued into January 2025, allowing the snow line to rise further from early December into early February.
Pelto reported that as of January 28, 2025, the average snow line in the Everest region was at 6,100 metres—150 metres higher than it was on December 11, 2024. His latest findings update an earlier assessment from May 2024, which had already noted limited snow cover since November 2023.
Unlike the high snow lines of the 2020-21 season, which were linked to an extraordinary January heatwave, the current trend stems from persistently above-normal temperatures and a lack of significant precipitation.
Between January 1 and March 31, 2024, less than 25 millimetres of precipitation was recorded at Everest Base Camp, underscoring the severity of the situation.
The findings raise concerns about the long-term stability of glaciers in the region, with experts warning that continued warming and reduced snowfall could accelerate glacial retreat, affecting water supplies and ecosystems dependent on Himalayan ice reserves.
A study of NASA satellite images from October 2023 to early January 2025 has revealed a consistent rise in the snow line on the world’s highest peak, according to a report by news agency PTI. Glaciologist Mauri Pelto, a professor of environmental science at Nichols College, US, noted that this trend was evident throughout January in both 2024 and 2025.
At 8,849 metres above sea level, Mount Everest is situated between Nepal and Tibet.
The ‘snow line’ marks the elevation above which snow remains year-round, and its upward shift suggests a warming climate. A rising snow line—where melting occurs at lower altitudes, pushing the boundary higher—points to increasing temperatures and changing weather patterns in the region.
Pelto noted that recent winters, including those of 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025, have been marked by warmer and drier conditions, leading to a decrease in snow cover, elevated snow lines, and an increase in forest fires.
Despite occasional snowfall early in each winter, the snow cover has not persisted, indicating continued glacier retreat even at altitudes above 6,000 metres.
The primary driver of snow loss at these high altitudes is sublimation, a process where ice directly transitions into vapor. Observations suggest a daily loss of up to 2.5 millimetres due to sublimation, significantly impacting glacier mass and contributing to its retreat.
In December 2024, Nepal recorded only 20-25% of its normal precipitation levels, with drier conditions particularly affecting the eastern regions.
Above-average temperatures exacerbated extreme drought conditions in several provinces, including Koshi Province. The dry spell has continued into January 2025, allowing the snow line to rise further from early December into early February.
Pelto reported that as of January 28, 2025, the average snow line in the Everest region was at 6,100 metres—150 metres higher than it was on December 11, 2024. His latest findings update an earlier assessment from May 2024, which had already noted limited snow cover since November 2023.
Unlike the high snow lines of the 2020-21 season, which were linked to an extraordinary January heatwave, the current trend stems from persistently above-normal temperatures and a lack of significant precipitation.
Between January 1 and March 31, 2024, less than 25 millimetres of precipitation was recorded at Everest Base Camp, underscoring the severity of the situation.
The findings raise concerns about the long-term stability of glaciers in the region, with experts warning that continued warming and reduced snowfall could accelerate glacial retreat, affecting water supplies and ecosystems dependent on Himalayan ice reserves.
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