Areal differentiation of snow cover in east central Ontario

Vegetationally based patterns of snow depth, density, and water equivalent are identified by using snow course, grid, and unaligned random sample measurements. The limitations of extrapolations from point measurements to general characteristics of regional snow cover are discussed for an area in which midwinter melt is a feature of snow cover evolution. The snow cover of the vegetation zones was most distinct in terms of water equivalent and least distinct in terms of density. Measurements of depth proved to have a high predictive value for water equivalents. The validity of generalizations from point measurements, even in terms of quite coarse measures of snow cover characteristics, is limited in areas such as this to a short period following the time of measurement.