Snowmelt time-lapse

This time-lapse video shows the spring melt-off for the snowpack at the larch lysimeter site from 27 March to 6 April 2015. The 10 day period was captured at 5 minute intervals with a time-lapse camera. On 18 March the snowpack was measured at 25.3 cm SWE (depth 65 cm). The period starts with nighttime temperatures below freezing, but mean daily temperatures rise steadily from around 6 degrees C to around 12 degrees C, and there is frequent rainfall of up to 6.5 mm/h and 32 mm/day.

Low levels of snowpack

Snow survey in the middle of February should give us close to the maximum snow accumulation for the season, at least for the low elevations. Melt conditions become more common during the second half of February, and precipitation amounts decrease. However, current snowpack amounts remain low compared to average conditions.

The chart above shows that the snow water equivalent for the 60 m and 140 m sites is the same at about 22.5 cm. The snow density at the 60 m site is slightly higher at 0.30 for a snow depth of 74.5 cm, whereas the values for the 140 m site are 0.28 and 79.5 cm respectively. These snowpack amounts are some of the lowest recorded since 2002, with only 2007 having snowpack significantly less than the current year.