See also:

Snow depth at Eagle Plains
 
Snow depth at Old Crow

Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Co-op

What is happening?

• This graph shows measures of snow density (the amount of liquid water contained within a given amount of snow) taken annually at Old Crow and Eagle Plains in the beginning of April.
• No trends in snow densities at Old Crow and Eagle Plains are apparent. Annual variation in snow density is similar between the two sites. With the exception of 2004, snow density is consistently higher at Eagle Plains. The lowest recorded snow density since records began occurred at Old Crow in 2003.

Why is it happening?

• Long-term changes in snow density could be caused by changes in the amount of winter wind, the number of warm spells that occur, or how much snow falls during the winter. For example, wind can pack the snow closer together, increases in temperature can cause redistribution of water within the snow pack and increase snow density, and a deep snow pack will become denser under it's own weight.

Why is it important?

• High snow densities can increase the amount of energy animals such as caribou and muskox spend to obtain food. Changes in snow density can also affect small animals that live in the snow pack.

Technical Notes

• The snow density values presented here are calculated from snow depth and water equivalent measurements made at Old Crow and Eagle Plains by the Yukon Territorial Government.