Snow: Bad for Ice

It's been snowing in West Antarctica. Though this would seem natural for the iciest place on Earth, it's actually detrimental to the preservation of the Antarctic ice sheet. According to researchers, "Annual snowfall has mounted 30 percent in West Antarctica over the last century, but the extra powder has not spelled good news for the melting ice sheet."
It appears that increased storm activity in warmer waters has driven warm water currents toward the Antarctic, causing an increase in thinning. From data gleaned through examining ice cores, which can measure snowfall up to the early 1700s, researchers found that annual snow accumulation increased 30 percent between 1900 and 2010. Researchers said, "in the last 30 years of the study, the ice sheet gained nearly 16 feet more water than it did in the first 30 years of the studied time period."
From the 300 year long record, researchers have noticed that melted snow accumulation is increasing rapidly, suggesting that a "point-of-no-return" is near.

Discovery News: http://news.discovery.com/earth/global-warming/snow-mounts-in-antarctica-but-ice-loss-continues-151105.htm