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https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5200
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5200
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
09 Sep 2026
| 09 Sep 2026
Status: this preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Brief communication: Unprecedented Everest storm reshapes expectations of future Himalayan precipitation extremes
Abstract. One of the most extreme snowstorms ever documented, with among the highest 12- and 24-hour liquid-equivalent accumulations recorded globally, was captured by an ultra-high-elevation weather-station network on Mt. Everest on 4 October 2025. Beyond redefining expectations of extreme Himalayan snowfall magnitudes, the event revealed a relationship between precipitation intensity and phase: melting of precipitating hydrometeors cooled the atmosphere and suppressed rain at glacierised elevations, with the low-density, high-altitude atmosphere amplifying this feedback. As the climate warms, more extreme Himalayan precipitation is likely, but whether such events bring rain or snow—and therefore their impacts—will depend on fine-scale storm dynamics.
How to cite. Matthews, T., Perry, B., Graves, B., Brun, F., Sanolaria-Otin, M., Pokhrel, N., Khadka, A., Shrestha, D., Cano, L., Kwadijk, A., Immereel, W., Maxwell, B., and Seimon, A.: Brief communication: Unprecedented Everest storm reshapes expectations of future Himalayan precipitation extremes, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5200, 2026.
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Department of Geography, King’s College London, London, UK
Baker Perry
Department of Geography (Climatology), University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA
Ben Graves
Department of Geography, King’s College London, London, UK
Fanny Brun
Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement, Université Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, IRD, Grenoble, France
Maria Sanolaria-Otin
Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement, Université Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, IRD, Grenoble, France
Navaraj Pokhrel
Department of Geography (Climatology), University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA
Arbindra Khadka
Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal
Dibas Shrestha
Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal
Ludving Cano
Department of Geography (Climatology), University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA
Aris Kwadijk
Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Walter Immereel
Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Brandt Maxwell
Brandt Maxwell Consulting, San Diego, California, USA
Anton Seimon
Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York State, USA
Short summary
Extreme precipitation shapes hazards and water resources in high mountains, but is rarely observed directly. On 4 October 2025, weather stations on Mt. Everest recorded one of the most extreme snowfall events ever measured. The storm revealed that Himalayan snowfall extremes can be far larger than previously documented, and that intense snowfall can cool the atmosphere sufficiently to prevent rain at impact-sensitive elevations, complicating the picture of how warming will affect future storms.
Extreme precipitation shapes hazards and water resources in high mountains, but is rarely...