Satellite images have revealed that the snow cover atop Mount Everest has receded by 150 metres this winter, indicating a lack of snow accumulation during the 2024-2025 season. According to researchers, this trend is indicative of a warming climate and diminishing snowfall in the region.
NASA satellite imagery from October 2023 to early January 2025 showed a continuous rise in the snow line, as noted by glaciologist Mauri Pelto, a professor of environmental science at Nichols College, US. In a blog post dated February 2, Pelto highlighted that both 2024 and 2025 witnessed a significant shift in the snow line, suggesting an ongoing decline in Everest’s snow cover.
Indicators of Climate Change
At 8,849 metres above sea level, Mount Everest is the tallest peak on Earth, straddling the border between Nepal and Tibet. The ‘snow line’ refers to the boundary where snow remains permanently on a mountain. A ‘rising snow line’—where snow melts at lower elevations and forces the boundary upwards—is often linked to global warming.
Pelto attributed the reduced snow cover to warmer and drier conditions prevailing over recent winters, including 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025. These conditions have driven higher snow lines, increased glacier retreat, and even contributed to more frequent forest fires in the region.
Despite a few small snow events in early winter, snow cover failed to persist, indicating that glaciers on Everest continued to shrink even above 6,000 metres. According to Pelto, sublimation—a process where ice evaporates directly into the air—has been a key factor in snow loss, with daily reductions reaching up to 2.5 millimetres. This process plays a crucial role in overall glacier mass loss, accelerating its retreat.
Severe Drought and Rising Temperatures
In December 2024, Nepal experienced only 20-25% of normal precipitation, particularly in the east, with significantly above-average temperatures. This resulted in extreme drought across multiple provinces, including Koshi Province.
January 2025 has continued to be abnormally dry, with persistently warm temperatures contributing to the sustained elevation of the snow line from early December into February 2025. On January 28, 2025, the average snow line in the Everest region was recorded at 6,100 metres—150 metres higher than it was on December 11, 2024.
A Worrisome Trend
Pelto’s latest findings update his previous analysis from May 2024, which already noted limited snow cover persisting since November 2023. Unlike the 2020-21 winter season, which saw high snow lines due to an extraordinary January heatwave, this winter’s changes stem from persistently high temperatures and a lack of significant precipitation.
Between January 1 and March 31, 2024, Everest Base Camp recorded less than 25 millimetres of precipitation, further exacerbating the rising snow line issue.
Implications for the Future
The continued retreat of snow cover on Mount Everest raises serious concerns about the long-term effects of climate change in the Himalayas. The loss of glacier mass could impact freshwater supplies for millions of people who rely on rivers fed by these glaciers. Additionally, an elevated snow line could alter climbing conditions, posing new challenges for mountaineers.
With warmer and drier winters becoming more frequent, experts warn that Everest’s glaciers may continue to diminish, contributing to broader environmental consequences for the region and beyond.
Sources By Agencies
