Snow Depth Over Central North America: 1966-2018

While a number of previous studies have explored snow cover extent over central North America, few have examined snow extent and depth. Evaluating depth provides a more complete understanding of the impact of snow cover on the environment than simply looking at extent. This includes a better estimate of surface albedo, how well the snow insulates the underlying soil, and an idea of the snowpack water content. Thus knowledge of snow depth contributes to a better understanding of snow’s role in ecological systems, weather forecasting and flood prediction. We report here on a study that first develops a climatology of snow depth from 1966-2018 using in-situ measurements of the United States Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) and the Meteorological Service of Canada. Station reports are averaged within 118 grid cells. The study region is situated east of the Rocky Mountains from the Texas Panhandle to southern Alberta. With a background climatology in place, analyses of the spatial and temporal variability of snow depth are conducted. This includes an analysis of means, extremes, and seasonal timing of depth on local to regional scales. Any noteworthy trends will also be discussed.