A decline in snow cover area of Passu and Ghulkin valleys between 1995 and 2022

The global cryosphere is experiencing accelerated melting due to climate change. Currently, the Karakoram anomaly is under discussion with a debate about the possibility that the anomaly may have recently ended. This study aims to evaluate the up-to-date changes in snow cover in the western Karakoram region. We observed the snow cover changes in Passu and Ghulkin valleys in the Hunza River basin (HRB) of the Karakoram through multi-temporal Landsat satellite data between 1995 and 2022. We found a significant reduction in snow cover in these valleys, with an average reduction rate of 0.42 km²/yr, resulting in a total reduction of ∼11.46 km² between 1995 and 2022. This reduction in snow cover is consistent with the mass loss of glaciers in the Karakoram region in recent years. The decline in snow cover in these valleys is also consistent with the meteorological data. The temperature in summer (June) has significantly increased whereas the precipitation in the accumulation season (March) has decreased. These rapid changes suggest that it is crucially important to monitor the snow cover on a regular basis to support downstream management of snowmelt runoff. In addition, there is a need of planning for mitigation and adaptation strategies for snow-related hazards.