snowmelt
Winter's liquid legacy
Snowmelt is water from melting snow, especially in spring when accumulated winter snow begins to thaw.
The term often appears in discussions of water supply and flooding: Snowmelt feeds the river through June.
It also refers to the process itself: Early snowmelt has affected the ski season.
Excess water drainage
- watershedDrainage area boundary
- drainageLiquid removal system
- freshetSnowmelt-driven flood
- streamflowRiver water's measured movement
discharge · groundwater · recharge · aquifer · percolation · infiltration · catchment · headwater
Recoiling metal spiral
- thawReturn to liquid
- warmingIncreasing in temperature
- vernalRelating to spring
- breakupRomantic relationship's termination
ice-out · freshet · flood · surge · peak · timing · early · late
Slow-moving ice mass
- permafrostPerpetually frozen earth layer
- cryosphereEarth's frozen water systems
- icecapPermanent polar covering
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
warming · drought · water supply · snowline · alpine · arctic · mountain · Himalayas
Year-old compacting snow
- névéGranular, compacted alpine snow
- powderFine dry particles
- crustHard outer layer
- slushPartly melted snow
snowdrift · ablation · sublimation · albedo · depth · accumulation
runoff
Excess water drainage
streamflow · discharge · groundwater · recharge · aquifer · percolation · infiltration · catchment · headwater · tributary
spring
Recoiling metal spiral
breakup · ice-out · freshet · flood · surge · peak · timing · early · late · rapid
glacier
Slow-moving ice mass
- permafrostPerpetually frozen earth layer
- cryosphereEarth's frozen water systems
- icecapPermanent polar covering
climate change · warming · drought · water supply · snowline · alpine · arctic · mountain · Himalayas · Andes
firn
Year-old compacting snow
slush · snowdrift · ablation · sublimation · albedo · depth · accumulation
riparian
Relating to riverbanks
- spawningReleasing eggs to reproduce
- salmonPink-fleshed migratory fish
- migrationMovement to new territory
wildflowers · meadow · wetland · habitat · alpine · renewal · greening · nesting · aquatic · trout
- snow sciencecore samples, core sampling, field surveys, accumulation, water content
- freshwaterponds, river water, freshwater lake, creek, brook
- Snowsnowbank, snowdrift, blizzard, powder, flurry
- water resourcesfreshwater, aquifers, water supply, water storage, aquifer
- meltingthaw, thawing, defrosting, defrost, liquefaction
- mountain streamsmountain stream, mountain brook, alpine stream, mountain river, mountain spring
snowmeltfreezing
Extremely cold
ice formation · snowfall · snow accumulation · frost · glaciation
snowmeltrainfall
Water falling from clouds
rain · rainwater · spring water · stormwater · monsoon rains