Glaciers in Western North America Mass Loss Geospatial Data (2021-2024)

Glaciers are essential parts of the mountain landscape, with strong cultural and tourism value, and they provide cool, plentiful water to many headwater streams during late summer and years of drought. We report on rates of mass loss for western Canada and the conterminous US glaciers. Over the period 2021-2024, glaciers in both regions experienced a doubling of melt rates compared to the previous decade. Glaciers lost 12% of their total 2020 volume over this four-year period. Conditions that favored strong mass loss included warm dry conditions and surface darkening of snow and ice.