>>>It takes cold to turn that moisture into snow. If this is due to global warming, where did the cold come from?
The 14,000 feet of elevation provides a lot of cold. You could have a rise in average temperature at the top of the mountain, that if still below freezing would promote glacier growth.
As one who grew up in the snow belt of western NY, I can tell you that warm winters can lead to snowier winters. Most winters, Lake Erie would freeze completely in January and February, so cold winds out of Canada would not have a lot of moisture when they hit the higher elevations in WNY. In warmer winters, Lake Erie would not completely freeze over and those same winds would pick up moisture off the lake and deposit large quantitites of lake effect snow on WNY.
When air rises, it cools at a rate of 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1000 feet. This is called the dry adiabatic lapse rate. When it reaches the dew point, the moisture condenses, and the lapse rate is lower, 2-3 degrees/1000 feet(wet adiabatic lapse rate). Then, the moisture falls out as rain or snow. If the air was 50 degrees at sea level, it would begin to snow when it reached the 3000 foot level or so. I took a course in high school meteorology.
When air rises, it cools at a rate of 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1000 feet. This is called the dry adiabatic lapse rate. When it reaches the dew point, the moisture condenses, and the lapse rate is lower, 2-3 degrees/1000 feet(wet adiabatic lapse rate). Then, the moisture falls out as rain or snow. If the air was 50 degrees at sea level, it would begin to snow when it reached the 3000 foot level or so. I took a course in high school meteorology.