Summary
Quantification of snow cover changes and related phenology in global mountain areas has not been consistently addressed, despite the well-known importance of the snow in this environment. By using MODIS products from 2000 to 2018, this study reveals that around 78% of the global mountain areas are undergoing a snow decline characterized by snow cover duration decrease up to 43 days, and a snow cover area decrease up to 13%. Few areas show positive changes with snow cover duration increase up to 32 days, and snow cover area increase up to 11%, mainly during wintertime in Northern Hemisphere. Significant snow cover duration changes are related in 58% of the areas to both delayed snow onset, and earlier melt; moreover, the rate of earlier snowmelt is greater than the rate of later snow onset
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