In June 2022 Copernicus Sentinel Satellites acquired the snow covered image of the ALPS. The snow cover visible in red, is showing the effects of the severe drought gripping Northern Italy during this period. According to the Centre d’Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphère (CESBIO – Centre for Space Studies of the Biosphere), after a winter characterised by a lack of rain, the 2022 snow cover area reached its minimum earlier than any other year since 2001.

The Snow and Ice Monitoring product provided by the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) offers high-resolution near real-time data used to monitor snow cover area, snow state conditions, persistent snow area and ice cover.

Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-3 imagery