snowmelt

American  

[snoh-melt] / ˈsnoʊˌmɛlt /

noun

1. water from snow that is melting or has melted.

2. the amount of such water.

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snowmelt British  

/ ˈsnəʊˌmɛlt /

noun

1. water produced by the melting of snow

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Etymology

Origin of snowmelt

First recorded in 1925–30; snow + melt ¹

Example Sentences

“If we can’t depend on reliable long-term snowpack and snowmelt later in the year, we’re going to have to do other things to make our water system more resilient.”

From Los Angeles Times

Now, 165 miles away in the Sierra foothills, the Yuba Water Agency is eyeing adopting the same program for New Bullards Bar, a reservoir roughly eight times bigger than Lake Mendocino that’s fed by Sierra snowmelt on the North Yuba River.

From Los Angeles Times

But early snowmelt is complicating efforts to store that water.

From Los Angeles Times

“We’re seeing snowmelt conditions in mid-March that we normally don’t see until at least mid-May,” said general manager Willie Whittlesey.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s pretty obvious that this is the runoff — this is the snowmelt — and it’s just happening about two months early.”

From Los Angeles Times