Rapidly warming Arctic causing greater snowfall further south

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The world’s unevenly warming climate is causing unforeseen changes to weather patterns across swathes of the planet, with new research indicating a warming Arctic Ocean can result in heavier snowfall further south. A new climate model indicates that heightened levels of water evaporating from the Arctic Ocean can lead to increased snowfall in northern Europe and Asia in late autumn and early winter. Tomonori Sato, an environmental scientist at Hokkaido University, who led the study, told The Independent: “Our study is the first time to show this effect has occurred in reality over the past decades.” He said the northern hemisphere’s snow variation “is determined by a combination of multiple processes”. “The Siberian region as suggested by our study is believed to be under a stronger influence of the Arctic Ocean.” Asked if the effect could grow stronger as the planet continues to heat up, Dr Sato said: “We might experience both warm and cold winters in the present decades until the warming effects become more substantial.