Satellite imagery analysis of 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 shows a notable variation in snow cover extent in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB), the Gilgit-Baltistan province, and the Chitral area in northern Pakistan. The same is summarized in the table below.

Year Snow Area
2023 62277.94 SqKm
2024 71704.81 SqKm
2025 76433.12 SqKm
2026 67469.92 SqKm

Remote sensing data highlights the variations shown above. These values of snow cover extent are based on observations from the respective years, all mapped for the first week of April. In the following map, the snow extent is shown in sky blue, while snow-free areas appear with a white background. The black boundary defines the extent of the UIB.

100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
2023: 62,000
2024: 73,000
2025: 77,000
2026: 68,000
2023
2024
2025
2026
Snow Cover Area
Poly. (Snow Cover Area)
2023 Snow Cover 2023
2024 Snow Cover 2024
2025 Snow Cover 2025
2026 Snow Cover 2026
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