Disentangling the Importance of Snowmelt Rate, Timing, and Amount of Runoff Production

Mountainous regions are responsible for approximately 32% of global discharge [Meybeck et al., 2001] and
within that, snow dominated regions provide water for one-sixth of the global population [Barnett et al., 2005].
Snowpack and the risks associated with a changing snowpack have been valued in the trillions of dollars globally
[Sturm et al., 2017], indicating the importance of understanding how changes in snowpack will cascade into changes
in runoff production. In the western United States alone, approximately 70% of runoff is derived from snowmelt
[Sturm et al., 2017]. Given the social, ecological, and economic value of mountain derived water it is pressing to
understand how changes in mountain hydrology will manifest as changes in runoff.