The number of patches of snow across a huge area of Scotland that still survive this summer has fallen to 90 – the third lowest number on record for 50 years.
This is much lower than the highs of more than 2,000 recorded in the 1970s and 1980s.
The two lowest years also fell this century, with just 31 in 2003 and 53 in 2017.
Iain Cameron, who is now leading the research, said: “It says a lot that there is less snow than there used to be. There’s no doubt about that.”
He added: “Unfortunately, I’m not shocked by this. The trajectory of recent years is only [too little] snow”.
The survey covers the Cairngorms and surrounding hills, but not the Ben Nevis area – everything east of the main A9 road running north to south.
Any surviving patch of snow is included, whether one or a hundred meters long.
The survey has been conducted on or around July 1 every year since 1974. Nowadays, by the end of September, all the snow tends to melt.
“I think all the snow is going to be completely gone this year, for the third year in a row,” Cameron said.
“This would have been absolutely unthinkable a few decades ago.”
Patches of snow at Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms this year. Photo: Iain Cameron
He calls himself a citizen scientist, although his findings are published annually by the Royal Meteorological Society.
Its chief executive, Prof. Liz Bentley, said: “Snow patches are an important indicator of of Climate Change and annual records highlight the variability of our climate from year to year as well as long-term changes.”
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The changes are similar to those seen in the melting or disappearance of other glaciers, she said.
“As our climate continues to warm, we will continue to see this trend in reduced snow patches recorded.
She added: “Eventually they will disappear [in summer] completely.”
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Cameron says anyone who wants to get involved can help by volunteering to participate or donating to the team to cover the costs of things like fuel and outdoor equipment.
“These little things act as a barometer for what the broader weather is doing, I guess… We just do it because we love being outdoors and we love seeing these patches of snow lingering on the hills for some reason that’s hard to describe. .”
Stephan Harrison, professor of climate and environmental change at the University of Exeter, said snow patches are also influenced by factors such as wind and cloud cover, as well as temperatures.
But they are still a “very visible record” of “the impact that human activities are having on the climate,” he said.
“Essentially, it supports what we already know: that the Earth is warming.”
He added: “It would be sad if they didn’t exist… that we as humans have changed the climate and the atmosphere to such an extent that these things now don’t exist.”
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
