@mur2501 86cm of snow?
@trinsec
Himalayas are a young mountain range which is still growing. Everest grows around 50cm in 100 years.
Snow covers varies all the time though the official count considers permanent snow cover on the peak.
@mur2501 So it took like almost 70 years to re-check. Ok, 86cm in almost 70 years isn't as alarming as 86cm in just one year. That's about close to 1cm per year. Sounds about right. :) With probably a little growth spurt in 2015. Growing pains in the mountains.
@trinsec
Well scientifically the heights of the Himalayas are changing every second (by a nanometres maybe) but you know getting things official is a slow painful and political process. Also the summit of the Mount Everest serves as the border between Nepal and China so both sides have to co-operate for making stuffs official.
@trinsec
Until now Nepal considered the height to be 8,848 metres from a survey conducted by India in 1954.
Now Nepal China jointly surveyed again and changed the official height.