FOREST GROWTH IMPACT ON PEAK SNOW PACK MEASUREMENTS AT LONG TERM SNOW COURSES

Data obtained at four snow courses in south-central British Columbia, Canada, which are used to indicate spring runoff, were used to examine whether there was a downward trend in the April 1 snow-water equivalent (SWE) over decades due to forest growth. The data covered periods ranging 25 45 yr. All of the snow courses have ten sampling sites roughly 15 m apart in small openings. Each of the snow courses is described briefly. None of the snow courses exhibited any statistically significant trends in peak SWE over the periods analyzed, as indicated by simple linear regression.