Articles | Volume 22, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4891-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4891-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
19 Sep 2018
Research article |
| 19 Sep 2018
| 19 Sep 2018
Now you see it, now you don't: a case study of ephemeral snowpacks and soil moisture response in the Great Basin, USA
Rose Petersky
Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences, University of Nevada, 1664 N Virginia St., Reno, NV 89557, USA
Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences, University of Nevada, 1664 N Virginia St., Reno, NV 89557, USA
Natural Resources Environmental Science Department, University of Nevada, 1664 N Virginia St., Reno, NV 89557, USA
Global Water Center, University of Nevada, 1664 N Virginia St., Reno, NV 89557, USA
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Cited
43 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Streamflow variability and the role of snowmelt in a marginal snow environment S. Bilish et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2020.1746517
- Snowtography quantifies effects of forest cover on net water input to soil at sites with ephemeral or stable seasonal snowpack in Arizona, USA R. Dwivedi et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2494
- Marginal snowpacks: The basis for a global definition and existing research needs J. López-Moreno et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104751
- The new indices to describe temporal discontinuity of snow cover on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau J. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00733-y
- Future Changes in Snowpack, Snowmelt, and Runoff Potential Extremes Over North America E. Cho et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL094985
- How Well do Global Snow Products Characterize Snow Storage in High Mountain Asia? Y. Liu et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL100082
- Towards a conceptualization of the hydrological processes behind changes of young water fraction with elevation: a focus on mountainous alpine catchments A. Gentile et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2301-2023
- Characterizing Biases in Mountain Snow Accumulation From Global Data Sets M. Wrzesien et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025350
- Decline in Seasonal Snow during a Projected 20-Year Dry Spell B. Hatchett et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology9090155
- High-resolution mountain topography can inform global snow vulnerability estimates A. Marshall et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ae2d73
- A Review of the Hydrologic Response Mechanisms During Mountain Rain-on-Snow W. Brandt et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.791760
- Comparison of snow disappearance date estimates and tree stem radial growth onset at the forest-tundra ecotone W. Weygint et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109388
- Evaluating the NASA MERRA-2 climate reanalysis and ESA CCI satellite remote sensing soil moisture over the contiguous United States M. Valipour et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2023.2237665
- Population-level differences in Pinus monophylla whole-plant seedling strategies under varying water pulse regimes J. Adkins et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plag025
- Impact of climate change on snow supply in Trojena, Saudi Arabia L. Sourp et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/adfe3f
- Relationships Between Ephemeral Snowpack and Soil Moisture in Semiarid Forest Revealed by PlanetScope Imagery and Machine Learning J. Tatum et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTARS.2026.3668229
- A spatiotemporal analysis of errors in InSAR SWE measurements caused by non-snow phase changes R. Palomaki et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2703-2026
- Impacts of Mediterranean snow droughts on mountain socio-ecohydrology F. Avanzi et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-5769-2026
- Midwinter Dry Spells Amplify Post‐Fire Snowpack Decline B. Hatchett et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL101235
- Spatial controls on the distribution and dynamics of a marginal snowpack in the Australian Alps S. Bilish et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13435
- The sensitivity of snow ephemerality to warming climate across an arid to montane vegetation gradient R. Petersky et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2060
- Seasonal and Ephemeral Snowpacks of the Conterminous United States B. Hatchett https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology8010032
- On the hydrological difference between catchments above and below the intermittent‐persistent snow transition H. Harrison et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14411
- Assimilation of blended in situ-satellite snow water equivalent into the National Water Model for improving hydrologic simulation in two US river basins Y. Gan et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156567
- Interannual Variability of Ephemeral Snow and Its Water Equivalent in a Mexican Mediterranean Mountain Region M. Espinosa-Blas et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/earth7020039
- Moss biocrusts sustain snowpack and soil function in cold deserts Y. Cao et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-026-02056-4
- The hydrological response of melting ephemeral snowpacks compared to winter rainfall events in a mid-mountainous Pyrenean catchment E. Nadal-Romero & J. López-Moreno https://doi.org/10.1007/s42990-024-00120-y
- Large projected increases in area burned and wildfire frequency by 2050 in Utah, USA J. Birch et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-025-04086-0
- The Impact of Canopy‐Mediated Radiation Fluxes on Snowpack in Semiarid Mountainous Forests in Arizona K. Lee et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70680
- Why does snowmelt-driven streamflow response to warming vary? A data-driven review and predictive framework B. Gordon et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac64b4
- Comparison of Snow Disappearance Date Estimates and Tree Stem Radial Growth Onset at the Forest-Tundra Ecotone W. Weygint et al. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4183361
- A global high-resolution dataset of snowmelt runoff onset timing from Sentinel-1 SAR, 2015–2024 E. Gagliano et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-5871-2026
- How three-dimensional forest structure regulates the amount and timing of snowmelt across a climatic gradient of snow persistence R. Dwivedi et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1374961
- Revisiting the Global Seasonal Snow Classification: An Updated Dataset for Earth System Applications M. Sturm & G. Liston https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-21-0070.1
- CHOSEN: A synthesis of hydrometeorological data from intensively monitored catchments and comparative analysis of hydrologic extremes L. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14429
- Multi‐Year Controls on Groundwater Storage in Seasonally Snow‐Covered Headwater Catchments M. Wolf et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR033394
- Spatial and temporal variability in snow density across the Northern Hemisphere W. Zhao et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2023.107445
- Shifts in elevational distributions of montane birds in an arid ecosystem M. Zillig et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06780
- The response of marginal snowpacks to climate warming J. LÓpez Moreno et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accre.2025.04.014
- Forest density and snowpack stability regulate root zone water stress and percolation differently at two sites with contrasting ephemeral vs. stable seasonal snowpacks R. Dwivedi et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.129915
- Determining the cause of inconsistent onset-season trends in the Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent record A. Elias Chereque et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adv7926
- Thin and ephemeral snow shapes melt and runoff dynamics in the Peruvian Andes C. Fyffe et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02379-x
- Seed source climate and precipitation timing determine dryland tree recruitment in hot and dry range margins A. Urza et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70330
43 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Streamflow variability and the role of snowmelt in a marginal snow environment S. Bilish et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2020.1746517
- Snowtography quantifies effects of forest cover on net water input to soil at sites with ephemeral or stable seasonal snowpack in Arizona, USA R. Dwivedi et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2494
- Marginal snowpacks: The basis for a global definition and existing research needs J. López-Moreno et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104751
- The new indices to describe temporal discontinuity of snow cover on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau J. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00733-y
- Future Changes in Snowpack, Snowmelt, and Runoff Potential Extremes Over North America E. Cho et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL094985
- How Well do Global Snow Products Characterize Snow Storage in High Mountain Asia? Y. Liu et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL100082
- Towards a conceptualization of the hydrological processes behind changes of young water fraction with elevation: a focus on mountainous alpine catchments A. Gentile et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2301-2023
- Characterizing Biases in Mountain Snow Accumulation From Global Data Sets M. Wrzesien et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025350
- Decline in Seasonal Snow during a Projected 20-Year Dry Spell B. Hatchett et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology9090155
- High-resolution mountain topography can inform global snow vulnerability estimates A. Marshall et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ae2d73
- A Review of the Hydrologic Response Mechanisms During Mountain Rain-on-Snow W. Brandt et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.791760
- Comparison of snow disappearance date estimates and tree stem radial growth onset at the forest-tundra ecotone W. Weygint et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109388
- Evaluating the NASA MERRA-2 climate reanalysis and ESA CCI satellite remote sensing soil moisture over the contiguous United States M. Valipour et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2023.2237665
- Population-level differences in Pinus monophylla whole-plant seedling strategies under varying water pulse regimes J. Adkins et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plag025
- Impact of climate change on snow supply in Trojena, Saudi Arabia L. Sourp et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/adfe3f
- Relationships Between Ephemeral Snowpack and Soil Moisture in Semiarid Forest Revealed by PlanetScope Imagery and Machine Learning J. Tatum et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTARS.2026.3668229
- A spatiotemporal analysis of errors in InSAR SWE measurements caused by non-snow phase changes R. Palomaki et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2703-2026
- Impacts of Mediterranean snow droughts on mountain socio-ecohydrology F. Avanzi et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-5769-2026
- Midwinter Dry Spells Amplify Post‐Fire Snowpack Decline B. Hatchett et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL101235
- Spatial controls on the distribution and dynamics of a marginal snowpack in the Australian Alps S. Bilish et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13435
- The sensitivity of snow ephemerality to warming climate across an arid to montane vegetation gradient R. Petersky et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2060
- Seasonal and Ephemeral Snowpacks of the Conterminous United States B. Hatchett https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology8010032
- On the hydrological difference between catchments above and below the intermittent‐persistent snow transition H. Harrison et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14411
- Assimilation of blended in situ-satellite snow water equivalent into the National Water Model for improving hydrologic simulation in two US river basins Y. Gan et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156567
- Interannual Variability of Ephemeral Snow and Its Water Equivalent in a Mexican Mediterranean Mountain Region M. Espinosa-Blas et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/earth7020039
- Moss biocrusts sustain snowpack and soil function in cold deserts Y. Cao et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-026-02056-4
- The hydrological response of melting ephemeral snowpacks compared to winter rainfall events in a mid-mountainous Pyrenean catchment E. Nadal-Romero & J. López-Moreno https://doi.org/10.1007/s42990-024-00120-y
- Large projected increases in area burned and wildfire frequency by 2050 in Utah, USA J. Birch et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-025-04086-0
- The Impact of Canopy‐Mediated Radiation Fluxes on Snowpack in Semiarid Mountainous Forests in Arizona K. Lee et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70680
- Why does snowmelt-driven streamflow response to warming vary? A data-driven review and predictive framework B. Gordon et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac64b4
- Comparison of Snow Disappearance Date Estimates and Tree Stem Radial Growth Onset at the Forest-Tundra Ecotone W. Weygint et al. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4183361
- A global high-resolution dataset of snowmelt runoff onset timing from Sentinel-1 SAR, 2015–2024 E. Gagliano et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-5871-2026
- How three-dimensional forest structure regulates the amount and timing of snowmelt across a climatic gradient of snow persistence R. Dwivedi et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1374961
- Revisiting the Global Seasonal Snow Classification: An Updated Dataset for Earth System Applications M. Sturm & G. Liston https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-21-0070.1
- CHOSEN: A synthesis of hydrometeorological data from intensively monitored catchments and comparative analysis of hydrologic extremes L. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14429
- Multi‐Year Controls on Groundwater Storage in Seasonally Snow‐Covered Headwater Catchments M. Wolf et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR033394
- Spatial and temporal variability in snow density across the Northern Hemisphere W. Zhao et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2023.107445
- Shifts in elevational distributions of montane birds in an arid ecosystem M. Zillig et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06780
- The response of marginal snowpacks to climate warming J. LÓpez Moreno et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accre.2025.04.014
- Forest density and snowpack stability regulate root zone water stress and percolation differently at two sites with contrasting ephemeral vs. stable seasonal snowpacks R. Dwivedi et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.129915
- Determining the cause of inconsistent onset-season trends in the Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent record A. Elias Chereque et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adv7926
- Thin and ephemeral snow shapes melt and runoff dynamics in the Peruvian Andes C. Fyffe et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02379-x
- Seed source climate and precipitation timing determine dryland tree recruitment in hot and dry range margins A. Urza et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70330
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 03 Oct 2026
Short summary
Ephemeral snowpacks are snowpacks that persist for less than 2 months. We show that ephemeral snowpacks melt earlier and provide less soil water input in the spring. Elevation is strongly correlated with whether snowpacks are ephemeral or seasonal. Snowpacks were also more likely to be ephemeral on south-facing slopes than north-facing slopes at high elevations. In warm years, the Great Basin shifts to ephemerally dominant as rain becomes more prevalent at increasing elevations.
Ephemeral snowpacks are snowpacks that persist for less than 2 months. We show that ephemeral...
