Unexpected! (like ongoing unemployment, snicker)
What a bunch of BS. Why is this "startling"??? Seriously. A glacier can only get bigger, smaller, or stay the same. Hmm, three choices, none of which should be particularly "startling." It would be startling if the glacier spontaneously turned into tomato soup or something. But merely experiencing one of the three natural options related to size...not startling in my book.
The only thing baffling so-called "climate scientists" is how to try to spin this as proof of man-caused global warming. I know - AGW caused more moisture in the atmosphere, which passed over the mountain ranges feeding this glacier, dropping more snow, causing the growth. There scientists, in about 15 seconds I just came up with your answer so that the data can fit your agenda. Don't worry that it is based on absolutely zero facts - none of your other work seems to be either.
Yep. No scientist is “baffled” by data. Reporters are often “baffled” when that data doesn’t fit their preconceptions.
I would imagine that the amount of winter precipitation has more to do with glaciers growing than a 1-2 F change in temperature either way when the average temperature stays way below freezing anyway.
Not a good indicator either way, IMHO.