British Antarctic Survey study finds global models undercount Himalayan snowfall
Turns out, the Himalayas get way more snow than global weather models have been showing, especially during big winter storms.
A recent study led by Siddharth Gumber from the British Antarctic Survey used advanced sensors and some clever physics to reveal that these models often miss just how much snow actually falls in tricky mountain areas.
Manali snowfall underestimated by 37%
In places like Manali, Himachal Pradesh, snowfall was underestimated by as much as 37%.
The team found spots getting over 800kg/m2 of snow, way higher than what older data suggested.
These underestimates aren't just a Himalayan thing; similar gaps showed up in the Alps and Rockies too.
The researchers double-checked their methods using frozen lakes and say this could help improve forecasts for water supplies, glacier health, and even avalanche warnings in mountain regions.