Snow Pack

Snow water equivalent (SWE) is the depth of water that would result if the snow mass melted completely, whether over a given region or a confined snow plot, calculated as the product of the snow height in meters times the vertically-integrated density in kilograms per cubic meter. SWE is crucial for water resource management, as it helps predict water availability from snowmelt, which is vital for ecosystems, agriculture, and municipal water supplies.

A plot of current SWE for the Upper Rio Grande Basin versus prior years is available HERE.

Below is a graphic showing the percent of SWE for the watershed basins near Santa Fe versus the 1991-2020 median.