snowpack

American  

[snoh-pak] / ˈsnoʊˌpæk /

noun

1. the accumulation of winter snowfall, especially in mountain or upland regions.

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snowpack British  

/ ˈsnəʊˌpæk /

noun

1. a quantity of fallen snow that has become massed together

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snowpack Scientific  

/ snō′păk′ /

1. An area of naturally formed, packed snow that usually melts during the warmer months.

2. The amount of snow that accumulates annually in a mountainous area.

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Etymology

Origin of snowpack

First recorded in 1945–50; snow + pack ¹

Example Sentences

Each year in early April, water managers analyze the snowpack to estimate how much water will flow into rivers in the months ahead.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

Current forecasting methods rely heavily on snowpack measurements taken in early April.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

“We’ve been open for 83 years, and this is the lowest snowpack that we’ve ever recorded.”

From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026

California’s snowpack is supposed to reach its peak April 1, so today, state surveyors hold their final Sierra snow survey of the year.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

His gear seemed exceedingly minimal for the harsh conditions of the interior, which in April still lay buried under the winter snowpack.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer