During the summer of 1951 the Comitato Glaciologico Italiano sent 22 observers into the Italian Alps and the Apennines.

One hundred and five glaciers were visited; of these 76 were in retreat, 11 were in advance, 5 uncertain, 3 stationary, and 10 were covered with snow and impossible to check.

In the winter of 1950–51 the snowfall had been very abundant even on the lower parts of the glaciers, many of which remained covered with snow for the whole summer. The temperature too was very low. As a result very little ablation of the glaciers took place and their recession was negligible, or very small.

There was an increase in the number of glaciers advancing. This is probably due to the above factors added to the occurrence of heavy snow storms during the winter of 1945–46, but this cannot be definitely confirmed since no measurements of the speed of the glaciers were made until 1951.