Adding new snowpack monitoring stations at strategic locations would be better at predicting water supply in the western U.S. than basin-wide mapping — and it would be less expensive — according to a new study. … On average, about half of the water in western streams is driven by snowmelt. … For the study, researchers analyzed more than 20 years of snow estimates and streamflow data across 390 snow-fed basins in 11 states. Their analysis found the location and importance of “hotspots” — areas where snowpack isn’t currently measured but is especially predictive of water supply.

Other snowpack news:

• Bloomberg Law: Snow melts fast in wildfire burn areas, imperiling water supply​
• Colorado School of Mines: Study: Snow melts earlier in burned forests, new Science Advances study finds