Thus continentality , elevation, and latitude all influence the spatial distribution of glaciers. Temperature is another important variable in controlling the distribution of glaciers thoughout the world. If the summer temperatures in an area are too high, they will melt all of the snow that has fallen during the previous winter, and a glacier cannot form. Latitude has a large influence on temperature differences. This relationship is demonstrated by cooler temperatures at higher elevations thoughout the globe, which only begins to be evident at this scale.
Alpine glaciers form in high elevation areas throughout the world.
High elevations receive more moisture due to orographic uplift , thus they have a high potential for building glaciers. In the troposphere , temperatures decrease as elevation increases. Typical snow near a coast is heavy and wet, and sometimes even slushy. Because there is a lot of water mass in this snow, which may turn to ice, this is a good place to grow a glacier. So, continental mountains have a tendency to be drier environments.