Rain used to be rare in the Arctic, but as the region warms, so-called rain-on-snow events are becoming more common. The rains accelerate ice loss, trigger flooding, landslides, and avalanches, and create problems for wildlife and the Indigenous people who depend on them.
I’ve seen piles of snow after a parking lot gets plowed that will last days, even weeks of sunshine, but one rainy day and they disappear. Running water cuts right through ice. Positive feedback to the acceleration.
I’ve seen piles of snow after a parking lot gets plowed that will last days, even weeks of sunshine, but one rainy day and they disappear. Running water cuts right through ice. Positive feedback to the acceleration.