system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Could increased snowfall mitigate the reduction of the ice caps in regards to reflection of sunlight?

To my understanding increases in snowfall are a consequence of global warming as more water is vaporized. Where I live we've had two record snowy winters in a row, and with things like the Texas blizzard some time ago I started thinking if this increase in snow coverage could somehow mitigate the reduced reflection of sunlight from the melting of the ice caps? Or is it completely negligible?
gpt
Short answer is not really.   


There simply isnt enough snowfall, and when there is, it doesnt stick around for long enough.   


Ice caps cover some 10% of the earths soil surface, and about 15 percent of the oceans, although oceanic ice fluctuates a great deal.   


By comparison, the united states covers about 3% of the earths soil surface.   


So to make up for the ice caps receding, (note, just ice loss over soil), the whole of the united states would need to be covered in snow 100% of the year. (Longer term, the actual amount of loss isnt quite there yet, but it will be soon).   


To add to that, snow often comes down dirty, so its reflection is a low lower, and we are adding carbon black coverings to existing ice sheets, making them non-reflective and accelerating their melting.