New snow coverage behavior destroying addons and realism

Version: 1.0.72.0

Frequency: Consistently

Severity: Blocker

Context:
Applies to default scenery in general but particularly affects airports in either high elevation or (ant)arctic locations. In this below examples Aerosoft’s Everest (e.g. Lukla) and Antarctica (e.g. Rothera, Casey) addons.

Bug description:
There seems to be enforced seasonal snow coverage in some regions and elevations that is completely independent from temperature, snow height or weather in general (tried both custom and real weather). Makes arctic locations and high elevation airports impossible as the snow coverage “overrules” everything.

Repro steps:
Check out Mt. Everst area, optionally together with above mentioned Aerosoft’s Everest (e.g. Lukla) and Antarctica (e.g. Rothera, Casey) addons.

Attachments:

Rothera EGAR in January (only month clear of snow there)

Rothera EGAR in February:

Rothera EGAR in June:

Rothera EGAR in December:

Casey YWKS in any month (absolutely useless):

Casey YWKS product page reference screenshot from MSFS2020:

Mount Everest is another extreme example. It lies within the tropics, so changes in snow coverage shouldn’t play much of a role around its flanks.

As a reference: Mount Everest in MSFS2020:

Mount Everest in July (month with least snow):

Mount Everest in most other months:

Looking south from Mount Everest in July:

3 Likes

Sorry for being so persistent about this one but having enforced snow coverage breaks a few addons. I understand that weather related snow coverage cannot be suppressed to a degree but this seasonal snow even seems to be loaded on top of darker areas - so far I don’t see a way to suppress it.

Just checked it in the latest 1.0.84.0 release. Seasonally enforced snow cover is still a problem:

Antarctica in July:

Antarctica in January:

Mt. Everest region in July:

Two more screenshots to show how much these snow covers destroy realism. When switching from main menu to “free flight”, the rather unrealistic snow coverage many rather dry Himalayan regions becomes visible: