How is the water content of snow measured?
As a very general rule, the depth of freshly fallen snow is converted to its water equivalent by dividing that depth by 10. However, the water content of snow varies greatly , depending on the temperature, wind speed and moisture content of the air through which the snow falls. Very wet snow falling in air near freezing may have a water equivalent of 6:1, meaning 6 cm of snow = 1 cm of water. On the other hand, with dry and powdery snow the ratio may be as high as 30:1. The only sure way to measure the water content of fresh snow is to melt it. The standard instrument to measure water equivalent is the Nipher snow gauge. The snow in this receptacle is taken indoors until it completely melts. The contents are measured to get the true water content of snow since the last observation.
