The thick snowdrifts of years gone by could become a rarity across the continent.

The blanket of snow that shrouds diverse landscapes across Europe during the colder months is thinning rapidly, thanks to climate change.

Gerard van der Schrier at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute in De Bilt and his colleagues analysed more than six decades of data on snow cover and climate from thousands of weather stations throughout Europe. They found that, with the exception of a few localized extreme cold spots, mean snow depth has decreased markedly since 1951 across the continent, at about 12% per decade. The depth of ‘extreme’ coverage — which cripples local infrastructure — decreased at a slightly slower pace.

The observed decline, which accelerated after the 1980s, is the result of a combination of rising temperatures and the effects of climate change on precipitation. Waning snow cover may lower the availability of fresh water during the spring melt period, the authors note.