Warm spring caused quick snowmelt at Tarfala

Surprisingly the extreme snowfall events in early April have not delayed the start of the summer season in the Tarfala valley. A warm May and June caused rapid snow melt and the summer conditions are now quite normal. The discharge in the rivers has been generally high over the last month but has now settled to a normal rate. The ice covering the lake Tarfalasjön is still solid but is expected to break up soon. The Tarfala Research Station opened on June 28th and the SITES sampling program is just now getting started for the year. The station will be run as usual this year after two years of reduced activities.