snowmelt

noun

snow·​melt ˈsnō-ˌmelt How to pronounce snowmelt (audio)
: runoff produced by melting snow

Examples of snowmelt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Colorado’s rivers are fed by snowmelt, which moves down slope from the snow that accumulates throughout winter at the top of our high-altitude Rocky Mountains. Morgan Tilton, Denver Post, 8 June 2025 By 1903, irrigation canals that funneled snowmelt from the Cascade Mountains were dug in the eastern part of the state, and in 1914, vineyards that are now considered historically important were planted in Yakima Valley; the most notable is W.B. Bridgman in Sunnyside. Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 3 June 2025 Sheriff’s officials are warning people of the river’s dangers as warmer weather melts the Sierra Nevada snowpack and sends snowmelt downstream. Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2025 According to Schmidt, much of the struggle stems from snowmelt being absorbed by parched soils before reaching the reservoirs. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for snowmelt

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of snowmelt was circa 1927

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Cite this Entry

“Snowmelt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snowmelt. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

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