Occurrence and characteristics of snowfall on the highest mountain of Mexico (Citlaltépetl volcano) through the ground’s surface temperature

Abstract

Snow has great environmental importance. Its physical properties influence the ground temperature; its long-term accumulation adds to the mass of glaciers and is also a clear indicator of climate variability. However, despite the frequency of snowfall in tropical high-mountain environments, its quantitative study is very scarce, and in the case of Mexico it is non-existent. Due to the altitude of a large part of the Mexican territory, and because of the high ecosystem value of the snow, in this work we analyze the temporality, accumulation and duration of the snow cover on the highest mountain in the country. The data obtained through continuous monitoring of the surface temperature of the ground allowed to identify that snowfall occur with greater frequency and volume during the summer and autumn months, while during the winter snowfall of less intensity occur. The accumulation values ​​are mostly less than 30 cm thick, and the duration of the snowpack is on average less than two weeks; however, there are episodes of greater depth and duration.