Snow reduction expected in Scotland by Sean Batty
Scientists at the Met Office have warned of the effects of climate change to Scotland’s wildlife and tourism, predicting that snowfall will drastically fall over the next 70 years.
The research by the Met Office for the Scottish executive and the Northern Irish Forum for Environmental Research shows that the amount of snow settling has decreased by around a third over the past 45 years.
Looking at snow measurements over the years and what is predicted for the future, you can see a clear reduction.
Snow is measured by the amount of water collected after it has been melted in a rain gauge. The general conversion is 1mm of rainfall is equivalent to 1cm depth of snow.
The winter season of 2005/2006 saw Cairngorm have one of the most successful seasons in its history. From January to late March there was above average snowfall with nearly two metres on the upper slopes. At one point the Cairngorms had more snow than some resorts in the Alps.
Despite this in some areas, such as Inverness-shire a 66% reduction in snow is expected by the 2080s.
Since the mid 1990s usage of the Cairngorms Ski Resort has fallen significantly, threatening the financial viability of the resort.
The Met Office said though that in 10 to 20 years the Cairngorms were likely to lose their summer snow caps, spelling doom for a variety of species, such as the snow bunting bird.
All resorts across Europe are set to suffer at the hands of global warming as the snow lines ascend up the mountains in the years to come…
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