Does Mont Blanc Have Snow Year-Round?

Yes. Mont Blanc (4,808 m / 15,774 ft) — highest peak in the Alps and Western Europe — has permanent snow and ice cover on its summit.

Why?

• Above the equilibrium line altitude (ELA) — where annual accumulation > ablation
• Mean annual temp at summit: ~−10°C (14°F); rarely above freezing
• Heavy precipitation: 2,000–3,000 mm/yr, mostly snow

Glaciers

• Mer de Glace (France) — largest in France, 7 km long, accessible by train
• Bossons Glacier — steep, dramatic seracs, near Chamonix
• Miage Glacier (Italy) — debris-covered, valley glacier
• Total glacial area: ~100 km² (shrinking ~1%/yr due to warming)

Climate Change Impact

• Glaciers lost ~30% volume since 1850
• Rockfalls increasing as permafrost thaws (e.g., 2005 Bonatti Pillar collapse)
• Summit elevation may drop as ice cap thins

Mont Blanc remains a permanent alpine ice environment — but its glaciers are in rapid retreat.