The snow has added valuable moisture to the area soil profiles. Snow
depths increased in a pattern with heaviest from southwest to northeast across
the northwest corner of Missouri.
The amount of moisture available in a snow event varies. According to the
National Snow and Ice Data Center, the majority of snows in the United States
contains from 0.04 to 0.10 ratio of water per inch of snow. Often the amount of
moisture in a snow varies greatly with the temperature in the snow as to how
much moisture is contained in the snow.
A general rule of thumb generally is that one inch of water is contained in
ten inches of snow. But again, this is often inaccurate.
To accurately identify the amount of water contained, take a core sample of
the snow with the same diameter as a rain gauge. Melt the core in the rain gauge
and determine how much water was contained after melting.
Soils under the snow are not frozen so this will allow for water to slowly
infiltrate allowing water to move into the soil profile.
For more information, contact Wayne Flanary at 660-446-3724, Heather
Benedict at 660-425-6434 or Wyatt Miller at 816-776-6961, Regional Agronomists,
University of Missouri Extension.
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