Where Did All the Snow Go?
Central and Eastern European countries are experiencing winters characterized by significant losses in snow covers. Analyzing the issue by looking at satellite images may help us in finding patterns and in getting a better understanding of what less snow can imply in these regions.
© Unsplash/Gabriel Garcia Marengo
Snowy winters are becoming a rarity in Europe where they were once a common occurrence.
Central and Eastern Europe, namely Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine, are most affected by the loss of snow cover. The last snowy winter here was observed in 2020–2021, and a winter with abundant snow everywhere was in 2016–2017.
We analyzed the Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) data obtained from MODIS satellite images and observed a certain cyclicity: after several years without snow, snowier winters return. However, the number of snowy years noticeably decreases each time. Thus, in 2006–2008, there was relatively little snow, while the period from 2009 to 2013 saw comparatively cold winters.
This winter, there was virtually no snow in Central and Eastern Europe
Where and when was there the most snow?
The images above present the average NDSI value for the entire winter. MODIS satellite images are affected by clouds, so for different points, the average is made up of varying amounts of data. For calculations, days are selected when cloud density does not interfere with data collection.
Paola Mercogliano, a principal research scientist at the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change and a board member of the Italian Society of Climatology, commented for EDJNet that the decrease in snow cover observed in recent years aligns with long-term climate projections. Rising temperatures lead to a reduction in seasonal snow accumulation, particularly at lower elevations. While natural variability can still result in occasional cold and snowy winters, the overall trend points to a steady decline in snow cover as a direct consequence of global warming.
She explains that the long-term risks associated with this decrease are significant. Snow plays a crucial role in water resource management, and its reduction can disrupt hydrological cycles, affecting freshwater availability for agriculture, energy production, and ecosystems. Additionally, less snow cover reduces the Earth’s albedo, amplifying warming and further accelerating temperature increases. These changes also have far-reaching implications for winter tourism and infrastructure.
Winter tourism faces substantial challenges from this decline. The European continent dominates the global skiing industry, containing roughly around 50% of the world’s total ski resorts with more than 1 million visitors annually.
Alpine resorts are increasingly relying on snow cannons to provide the artificial snow needed for skiing, as reported by DW.
Snow-related problems have been affecting ski resorts in Austria, Switzerland, and France for several years now. According to the BBC, in 2023, some Swiss resorts opened their summer biking trails rather than trying to offer winter sports. Others simply shut down their ski lifts indefinitely.
The absence of snow also negatively impacts agriculture. According to the EU Science Hub, during the winter of 2024-2025, countries in Central and Eastern Europe—particularly Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, and Ukraine—experienced moisture deficits partly caused by lack of snow. Additionally, without protective snow cover, winter crops are at risk of freezing.
Methodology: MODIS captures the reflection of sunlight in the visible and infrared ranges and determines snow cover through the NDSI (Normalized Difference Snow Index). For MODIS satellites, the threshold of 0.4 for NDSI does not apply, unlike some other satellites that collect data for NDSI.
