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What does a snowpack do?
Snowpacks are an important water resource that feed streams and rivers as they melt. Therefore, snowpacks are both the drinking water source for many communities and a potential source of flooding (in case of sudden melting). Snowpacks also contribute mass to glaciers in their accumulation zone.
Why is snowmelt important?
Snowmelt is a vital component of Earth’s water cycle—the process through which water recycles itself by moving through the atmosphere, land, and waterways. In cold climates, precipitation builds up as snow, ice, and glaciers. As a general rule, 10-12 inches of snowfall produces one inch of liquid water.
What is the snowpack in the Sierras?
The snowpack provides as much as a third of California’s agricultural and residential water supply. Most of the Bay Area gets its water from Sierra Nevada snowmelt stored in the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park, as well as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Russian and Mokelumne river systems.
What system is snowpack part of?
Snow and ice comprise the major parts of the cryosphere—that part of the Earth that is covered by snow or ice, including permafrost. The cryosphere is changing rapidly due to global warming. Glaciers are melting in all areas of the world, and snowpack is disappearing earlier in spring in temperate areas.
What is it called when snow melts?
In hydrology, snowmelt is surface runoff produced from melting snow. It can also be used to describe the period or season during which such runoff is produced.
What percent of normal is the Sierra snowpack?
The Department of Water Resources in California finished their third manual snow survey of the season this week at Philips Station in the Northern Sierra, and while snowpack for the Northern Sierra Nevada range is only slightly below average at 86 percent, the statewide snowpack is is poor shape at 54 percent of …
What does it mean to have a snowpack?
Snow that has fallen on the ground and does not melt for months due to below-freezing temperatures is called snowpack. Snowpack can consist of multiple layers of snow, each one from a different snowfall, that become compacted under the weight of the subsequent layers that lie on top.
What happens to the snowpack in the spring?
In the spring, the snowpack melts from the top down as temperatures rise above the freezing point. The amount of water released by snowmelt varies, depending on the density of the snow. Wet, heavy snow can release about 3.8 centimeters (1.5 inches) of water per 30 centimeters (12 inches) of snow.
How is the depth of the snowpack measured?
The snowpack can be measured using instruments, such as snow depth sensors and snow pillows. A snow depth sensor measures the depth of the snowpack using sound waves. A snow pillow is a large pouch containing antifreeze with a measuring tube sticking upwards out of it.
What happens to the snowpack when it melts?
The water from the melting snowpack is called snowmelt. The depth of the snowpack is influenced not only by the amount of snowfall but also by temperature and wind. Strong winds can evaporate snow cover, eroding the top layers of the snowpack, while an increase in temperature can cause layers to melt.