According to a study, in the Arctic it could rain more than snow in a few decades. This change will probably come decades earlier than previously expected, write scientists from the Canadian University of Manitoba and the US National Snow and Ice Data Center in a scientific article in the journal “Nature Communications”. Reasons include global warming and the decline in sea ice.
The change will be felt differently depending on the Arctic region and the season, predict the scientists on the basis of various climate data models. For example, between 2050 and 2080 it could happen that in autumn it rains more than it snows. This change had previously been predicted for 2070 to 2090. If we succeed in slowing global warming, these changes in the Arctic could possibly be at least partially slowed down.
“The challenge we see in the Arctic today is that it is changing so rapidly that wildlife may not be able to adapt,” said Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center. “This is not only a problem for reindeer, caribou and muskox, but also for the people in the north who depend on them.”