Unusually High Snowfall Drives Recent Stabilization in Net Antarctic Ice Mass

Communications Earth & Environment, 3 February 2026

Increased atmospheric river activity funneling moisture from the tropics, combined with reduced Antarctic sea ice extent, has increased snowfall across parts of Antarctica over the past decade, temporarily shifting the continent toward a very subtle net mass gain since 2020. This has occurred despite increasing ice loss from the continent as a whole. Antarctica lost nearly 100 gigatons more ice per year from 2020-2024 compared to annual rates during 2003-2019. However, since 2020, more frequent and intense atmospheric rivers have increased snow accumulation enough to offset this ice loss from the continent as a whole. The study finds that this snowfall increase is primarily controlled by strengthened westerly winds and large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns associated with atmospheric rivers. Reduced sea ice also contributes by increasing moisture exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere. Combining these factors, snow accumulation has been temporarily outpacing and masking ongoing long-term ice sheet mass loss.

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