Tedesche et al. (2025) Changing Snow Regime Classifications Across the Contiguous United States

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Water Resources Research
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-12-01
• Authors: Molly E. Tedesche, Travis A. Dahl, Jeremy J. Giovando
• DOI: 10.1029/2025wr041066

Research Groups

Information not available in the abstract.

Short Summary

This study developed a new spatial snow regime classification system to track climate-driven changes in snow phenology across the Contiguous US (CONUS) from 1981–2020, revealing widespread decreases in snow cover duration and snow-dominated areas, with shifts towards rain-dominated and transitional regimes moving up in latitude and elevation.

Objective

• To track climate-driven changes in snow phenology across the Contiguous US (CONUS) over 40 years (1981–2020) using a new spatial snow regime classification system.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Contiguous US (CONUS)
• Temporal Scale: 40 years (1981–2020), with changes evaluated across decadal and 30-year normal time scales.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: A new spatial snow regime classification system, which designates areas as rain dominated, snow dominated, transitional, or perennial snow. Classifications are determined using a ratio of maximum snow water equivalent (SWE) over accumulated cool-season precipitation.
• Data sources: Reanalysis data.

Main Results

• Average snow cover duration generally became shorter in each decade over the evaluation period, with rates of decline increasing at higher elevations.
• Snow-dominated spatial extents decreased over the first three decades compared to the 30-year normal.
• Areas classified as rain dominated increased over the first three decades.
• Previously snow-dominated areas have shifted to transitional areas, with boundary lines moving up in latitude and elevation.

Contributions

• Introduction of a new spatial snow regime classification system for the Contiguous US.
• Quantification of climate-driven changes in snow phenology across CONUS over a 40-year period (1981–2020).
• Identification of significant shifts from snow-dominated to transitional and rain-dominated regimes, including upward shifts in latitude and elevation.
• Provides a valuable method for land, water, and wildlife resource management communities to monitor changes in snow accumulation and melt regimes critical for runoff amount and timing.

Funding

Information not available in the abstract.

Citation

@article{Tedesche2025Changing,
  author = {Tedesche, Molly E. and Dahl, Travis A. and Giovando, Jeremy J.},
  title = {Changing Snow Regime Classifications Across the Contiguous United States},
  journal = {Water Resources Research},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1029/2025wr041066},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025wr041066}
}