Snow: the situation is improving in the Alps, but not in the Apennines: the deficit is still at 40%

We continue with our updates on the state of the Italian snow water resources. In January, snowfalls in the Alpine region led to a partial improvement in the situation, while in the Apennines, the deficit remains significant. Unfortunately, the same holds true for the national situation

The new year has just begun, and if there's one aspect that doesn't seem to deviate from previous years, it's the scarcity of snow. According to the regular monitoring conducted by CIMA Research Foundation, the situation reveals a significant deficit in Snow Water Equivalent (SWE), which describes the water content of snow. This deficit, although slightly improved compared to December, remains substantial

compared to previous years. Let's delve into the situation in more detail. In December, analyses by CIMA Research Foundation indicated a national deficit of -44%. Today, the value shows a slight improvement at -39%. In other words, it's better than a month ago but far worse compared to the 2011-2021 period. "As we always emphasize, the two primary factors responsible for the scarcity (or abundance!) of snow are temperature and precipitation. The current deficit, unfortunately not new compared to previous winters, is attributed to high temperatures coupled with low precipitation," says Francesco Avanzi, a researcher of Hydrology and Hydraulics Department at CIMA Research Foundation. "The temperature anomaly has been particularly significant in the Apennine region, where between October and December, temperatures were up to +2.5°C higher than the average."

Indeed, there are currently significant differences at the local level, especially between the Alpine and Apennine areas. For the former, 2024 started with abundant snowfall, partially compensating for the snow shortage. In the Alps, from Liguria to Friuli Venezia-Giulia, the current deficit stands at -26% compared to the historical average. It's still a deficit, of course, but it describes a better situation than last year when, during this same period, the Alpine deficit was at -67%.

The situation is worse in the Apennines, where limited precipitation, unable to fill the lack of snow, has combined with high temperatures in recent months. "This situation is comparable to last winter," comments Dr. Avanzi. "Especially in the mountainous areas that feed the Tiber River, in the central Apennines, we have about 10% of the snow water resource we would expect for this period (thus, a deficit of almost 90%)."

Additionally, it's essential to note that despite a relatively less dire situation in the Alps compared to last year, the Po River basin continues to record significant deficits in SWE: -43%. This is a significant figure to consider since the Po River basin is the largest in our peninsula.

"We still have a few useful months ahead for potential snowfalls, which could partially offset the current deficits, especially for the Apennines; usually, January and February are the snowiest months," concludes Dr. Avanzi. "However, the national deficit is indeed pronounced, and it's unlikely that we'll return to historical averages by the beginning of spring. As we always say, snow should be viewed as a marathon, a long-term effort. Most importantly, it's essential to highlight how this scarcity of snow, resulting in reduced water availability, has been a recurring theme for several years now. It is consistent with what climatology research has long argued, and we increasingly see it happening: the climate crisis is altering precipitation patterns, including snow, and this will inevitably impact many of our activities, from winter tourism to agriculture."