Snow Surveys

Abstract The basic objective of conducting snow surveys is assessing the spatial distribution of the snow water equivalent accumulated in the basin at a specific time. The distribution of snow is affected by several factors, including topography, orientation, vegetation, and wind speed. During strong winds, the drifting and blowing of snow create a highly uneven spatial distribution of snow depth. Therefore, to account for uneven distribution of snow in a basin, snow surveys are needed. Snow surveys are primarily a field activity that include determining the depth and vertically integrated density. An estimate of the snow water equivalent at a site is computed by multiplying the snow depth by the density of the accumulated snow. Snow surveys are made at regular intervals during both accumulation and ablation periods. Snow surveys conducted just after winter are considered especially important because they provide information about the total snow water equivalent accumulated during the winter. Such information helps in assessing the water resource potential of the deposited snow and is used for forecasting the volume of water expected from snowmelt.