Climate Fact: New England Snowpack Density
Between 1926 and 2004, average snowpack in the southern Maine/northern New Hampshire area decreased by 16 percent while average snow density increased by 11 percent. This change was accompanied by a rise in winter temperature (average winter temperature in New England has risen by five degrees Fahrenheit since 1970) and a lower ratio of snowfall to total precipitation. More rain instead of snow means less snow accumulation, and when rain falls on snow, it tends to become denser. More rain also changes the timing of snowmelt runoff, the average date of peak spring streamflow in New England is now arriving about 2.5 days earlier in the year than it did in 1950.
Seasons: Winter, Spring
Source: Hodgkins, G.A., and R.W. Dudley. “Changes in late-winter snowpack depth, water equivalent, and density in Maine, 1926-2004.” Hydrological Processes 20 (2006): 741-751.
