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The response of plant diversity to increased snowfall, i.e., precipitation that falls in a solid state rather than a liquid state, is unclear. Weinvestigated the potential effects of 12 year snowfall augmentation on species richness using coordinated distributed experiments, including ten sites across a rainfall gradient of 211-354mmand spanning 440 kmin length in the temperate steppe. Snowfall augmentation decreased species richness rather than enhancing it. Abiotic factor driven by soil pH was the dominant determinant affecting the variation in species richness under changing precipitation regimes, overriding biotic factor. The strongest reduction in species richness induced by snowfall augmentation occurred in the low-rainfall sites. Our study provides insights into the relationship between precipitation and biodiversity in arid and semiarid regions.