The permeability of a melting snow cover

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Abstract
Data from snow lysimeters in California and Vermont are used to find the saturated permeability of a melting snow cover in the range of 10–40 × 10−10 m2 depending on snow density. The unsaturated permeability increases as about the third power of liquid saturation. The gravity flow theory is shown to be an accurate representation of meltwater drainage from snow covers in two diverse areas even though the snow covers are treated as homogeneous units. The variation of saturated permeability with snow density occurs about as predicted by Shimizu's formula for dry snow, although ice layers decrease the permeability somewhat.

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