The water equivalent snow depth variable (wesd) is translated to snow depth by the following method. Because monthly snow depth is desired, we need to account for possible snow settling during the month. The water equivalent snow depth is known to be temperature dependent. However, this relationship is applicable to fresh snowfall. We have arbitrarily reduced the fresh snow temperature-dependent snow-to-water-equivalent ratio by a factor which is also temperature dependent.

The left figure below tabulates the snowfall depth associated with various melt water values (wesd) for five intervals of near-surface temperatures. These data are plotted in the upper right figure. These linear relationships imply a constant ratio of snow-to-water for each temperature range. The raw ratio values applied to the central temperature of each temperature interval are displayed in the upper curve of the lower right figure. In the solid lower curve of the lower right figure, the ratios have been reduced by factors of 0.5,0.6,0.7,0.8,1.0 for the coldest-to warmest temperature ranges, respectively. The lower dashed curve in the lower right figure is a functional fit to the lower solid curve extended to 0 degrees F. Temperatures below 0 deg F use the snow-to-water ratio at 0 deg F.