Snow-eater heatwaves of the western United States

Snow-eater heatwaves of the western United States | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Snow-eater heatwaves of the western United States Alan M. Rhoades, Joshua North, William Rudisill, Benjamin Hatchett, and 17 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7576317/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Abrupt snowmelt, triggered by rain-on-snow events or ``snow-eater heatwaves'', can cause flooding, accelerate snow drought, and impact water availability. Yet the characteristics (e.g., area, duration, and frequency), impacts, and trends of snow-eater heatwaves have received relatively little attention. To address this gap, we developed a method to identify snow-eater heatwaves and estimate their melt potential using Twentieth Century Reanalysis Version 3 air temperature data, the TempestExtremes algorithm, and an operational snowmelt model (SNOW-17) across 1850–2015. Melt season snow-eater heatwaves typically last 3–5 days, with 3–5 events, doubling snowmelt rates. Seven of 11 spring superfloods can be linked with snow-eater heatwaves. Since the 1850s, snow-eater heatwaves have increased in area and frequency, decreased in duration, and shifted earlier in the melt season. Incorporating snow-eater heatwave impacts into SNOW-17 improves extreme snowmelt estimates, providing additional tools to support water management. Climate Analysis and Modeling Hydrology Meteorology Snowmelt Extremes Snow-Heatwave Interactions Operational Modeling Spring Floods Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7576317","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":512681802,"identity":"39f8b4af-e91e-4070-88e7-2d5f74a806b6","order_by":0,"name":"Alan M. 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