Increased Cryosphere Loss Documented in 2025 European State of the Climate Report

World Meteorological Organization, 29 April 2026

The 2025 European State of the Climate report describes rapid and continuing losses of snow and ice across Europe’s cold regions, especially the Arctic, Alps, and Greenland. All monitored European glacier regions recorded net mass loss in 2025, with Iceland experiencing its second-largest glacier loss on record, continuing a long-term trend of glacier retreat across the continent. Europe experienced reduced winter conditions, with fewer areas experiencing frost and ice days. In March, snow cover extent in Europe was about 31% below average, which was the third-lowest since satellite records began in 1983. The report also highlights major losses from the Greenland Ice Sheet, which shed about 139 gigatons of ice during the year, contributing 0.4 millimeters to global sea-level rise. These cryosphere declines are described not only as consequences of warming but also as amplifiers of further climate change, since reduced snow and ice cover increase the amount of sunlight absorbed by the land and ocean, intensifying regional warming and contributing to broader ecosystem, hydrological, and sea-level impacts.

European State of the Climate Report | WMO Press Release