The question we propose to explore here is to what extent snowpack melt is a gradual process due to seasonal warming and to what extent it comes in spurts driven by springtime and early summer heat waves. Are there predictable pre-conditions that favor smooth versus episodic snowmelt? These questions have bearing on water resources and their management in that gradual snowpack melt is amenable to efficient capture and storage in engineered reservoirs, while strong episodic melting can be more challenging to manage and store and can lead to flooding.
