Arctic Sea Ice Loss Fuels Extreme European Snowfall

Nature Geoscience, April 1

The loss of Arctic sea ice directly contributed to the extreme snowfall and freezing across Europe during February 2018. This winter event was driven by an anomalously warm Barents Sea. With a 60% ice-free surface, the Barents Sea pushed 140 gigatons of water vapor into a cold northeasterly airflow over northern Europe, producing nearly 90% of the resulting fresh snowfall. For the past forty years, the increase in evaporation from the Barents Sea matches the 1.6 mm (water equivalent) per year increase in Europe’s maximum snowfall. Authors reiterate that sustained increases in global temperatures will result in an Atlantified ice-free Barents Sea by 2080, which will continue to be a major source of winter moisture for continental Europe.

https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/1501/2021/

Compiled by Amy Imdieke