Abstract ID: 3.10013 | Accepted as Talk | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

Recent winters saw extreme drought across the Italian Alps, with Snow Water Equivalent at peak accumulation dropping by 60% compared to recent years. This snow deficit, combined with low precipitation and high temperatures, led to historic water supply lows in the Po River Basin during summer 2022. In response, CIMA Research Foundation launched a communication campaign to raise awareness of the ongoing snow drought and its implications for water security and water management. Starting with social media posts on platforms like Twitter/X and LinkedIn, the initiative gained traction and evolved into widespread media coverage, including newspapers, TV, blogs, podcasts, and official reports. As of today, this effort has translated into a periodical bulletin on CIMA’s website, posts on Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, a dedicated newsletter and web page. Central to this effort is the S3M Italy & IT-SNOW monitoring system, which provides approximately 500-meter resolution daily maps of SWE, snow depth, bulk snow density, and liquid water content. S3M Italy & IT-SNOW integrate data from thousands of automatic weather stations, snow-covered area maps from Sentinel-2 and MODIS satellites, and in situ snow depth measurements from over 350 sensors, offering a comprehensive and detailed assessment of snow conditions across Italy. This case study examines the attention gained by the campaign, highlighting lessons learned at the science-media-policy interface. Effective communication relied on key messages, consistent updates, visual identity, and simplicity. A two-step model proved essential, where scientists created content that mediators—such as journalists or organizations—shared with the public. Building trust between scientists and mediators was key to amplifying the message among stakeholders. The campaign continues into 2024/2025, addressing the growing impacts of warming and aridity on snow conditions. It underscores the importance of credible information and aims to enhance public awareness of the challenges posed by climate change.