snowpack

noun

snow·​pack ˈsnō-ˌpak How to pronounce snowpack (audio)
: a seasonal accumulation of slow-melting packed snow

Examples of snowpack in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Already, 61% of the lower 48 states (Connecticut included) are experiencing drought, with this winter’s Rocky Mountain snowpack (a key indicator of freshwater availability in the American SW) sitting at roughly half of normal. Dr. Douglas M. Hasson, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2026 To exacerbate the situation, some reservoirs -- especially Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the largest in the country -- are experiencing low water levels due to the lack of snowpack during the winter. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 28 May 2026 Historic heat in March melted snowpack to below normal levels across southern California, drying out vegetation sooner. Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 23 May 2026 The one oddity is that hydroelectric production has surged without a corresponding increase in capacity, likely due to unusually warm weather in the western US causing the snowpack to melt early. ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for snowpack

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of snowpack was circa 1946

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Cite this Entry

“Snowpack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snowpack. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.

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