If you live somewhere that gets snow in winter, you’ve likely measured the depth of snow before! But with a few extra steps, you can turn this simple task into an awesome, hands-on snow measurements lab activity for your classroom.
By measuring snow and performing calculations, we can determine snow water equivalent, stored water, and snow-to-liquid ratios! These are all important measurements for snow hydrologists and tell us a lot about water resources and the water cycle.
In this post, you will learn how to set up your own snow measurements lab to try out in your classroom! You can also get printable versions of these directions plus worksheets, handouts, and classroom posters to go along with this lab in my Bird Beak Adaptations Lab Mini Study!
Gather Your Materials
Gather the following materials for the snow measurements lab:
Part 1: Water in Snow
- Printed copies of the “Water in Snow” worksheets (1 set per student)
- 3 identical jars with lids
- Water
- Freshly fallen snow (not “slush” or partially melted snow)
- Ice cubes
Part 2: Snow Water Equivalent
- Printed copies of the “Snow Water Equivalent Lab” worksheets (1 set per student)
- Ruler(s)
- Tall, straight sided container(s)
- Calculators (optional)
Set Up and Directions
Part 1: Water in Snow
- Fill one jar with liquid water, one jar with snow, and one jar with ice cubes. Fill all jars to the same level.
- Place a lid on each jar to prevent evaporative water loss.
- Put the jars somewhere indoors to melt.
- Ask students to make predictions about the water levels in each jar. Which jar will hold the most water at the end of the experiment? Which will hold the least?
- Encourage students to discuss their reasoning. They may notice that the jar with the ice cubes visibly contains a lot of air. For this reason, some students may expect that the ice cube jar will have the lowest water level at the end of the experiment.
- You may also ask students to draw a line on each jar to show where they think the water level will be.
- Once everything melts, ask students to check if their predictions were correct. Which jar holds the most water now? Which jar holds the least water now?
- Discuss how different types of snow (e.g., a fluffy, dry snow and a heavier, wet snow) will have different proportions of water and air in them. Share with students that snow hydrologists are often interested in the “Snow Water Equivalent”, or in other words, the amount of water in snow.
Part 2: Snow Water Equivalent
- Start by sharing with students that precipitation (e.g., snow, rain) is measured as a depth.
- We can measure this depth by setting an open container outside to collect precipitation as it falls.
- Help students use the rulers to draw and label measurement markings up the side of the container, starting at the bottom.
- Ask students to set these containers outside before it snows. If it is windy, students may need to place rocks or other heavy items around the containers to hold them in place. When the snow stops, students should record the depth, bring the container indoors, then wait for the snow to melt in the container.
- Once students determine the Snow Water Equivalent (i.e., the depth of meltwater in the container), help them calculate a snow-to-liquid ratio (SLR). You may wish to work through the example on the student handout as a class.
Other Suggestions
- The snow and ice cubes may melt slowly. If you don’t have a long class period, set up this activity at the end of class one day, then finish the activity at the start of class the next day.
- Don’t pack down the snow in the jar, since this may impact the snow’s density.
Reflection Questions
- Water only makes up a small part of snow’s volume. What could make up the rest of the snow? (What else is in the jar?).
- Imagine you have one jar with a fluffy, fresh snow, and one jar with a heavy, dense snow that was on the ground for a few days. After melting, which jar would have more liquid water? Why?
- Which would be more water: an inch of rain or an inch of snowfall? Why?
- If 21 inches of snow falls, and the snow-to-liquid ratio is 7 : 1, what is the snow water equivalent?
- Could snow water equivalent ever be a larger number than snow depth? Why or why not?
This activity comes from my Science in the Snow Unit!
Your students will love the illustrated learning materials, plus you’ll support Wild Earth Lab with your curriculum purchase!
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