Snow surveys and bulk snowpack isotopic composition in the south of the Western Siberia (Russia)

Climate change has a profound impact on seasonal snow cover, yet obtaining robust snowpack data remains a challenge. There is a significant lack of ground-based observations to validate remote sensing and model outputs. In Siberia, observation networks are sparse, and snow station locations do not always accurately represent the region's diverse landscapes. This study aimed to expand the observational coverage of climate stations and assess snowpack variability across different ecosystems. Our focus was on capturing snow conditions in various ecosystem types within the southern West Siberian Plain and the Altai low mountain region.

We conducted our research in two primary catchments: Kasmala (forest-steppe) and Mayma (low mountains). Observations were carried out during peak snow accumulation (late February – early March). Data collection in the Kasmala catchment took place from 2011 to 2014 and 2017 to 2019, while in the Mayma catchment, observations were conducted from 2015 to 2019. These efforts were supported by state-funded projects at the Institute for Water and Environmental Problems SB RAS.

In 2019, the 3S (South Siberian Snowpack) project, funded by RFBR (N 19-35-60006, 2019–2022) at Lomonosov Moscow State University, further expanded the observation network. As part of this project, we extended observations to cover the entire winter season of 2019–2020 in three catchments: Kuchuk (steppe), Kasmala (forest-steppe), and Mayma (low mountains). Additionally, the 3S project consolidated existing data into a unified snow property dataset, including snow depth, density, and SWE (snow water equivalent).

Observation Methods
Until 2019, observations were conducted along snow courses and small snow sites:

Snow courses ranged from 500 m to 2 km, with depth measurements every 20 m and density measurements every 100–200 m.
Snow sites consisted of two perpendicular transects (20 or 50 m), with 20 depth and 5 density measurements per site.
From 2019 to 2022, under the 3S project, the observation scheme was revised:

All measurements were conducted at snow sites using a standardized sampling approach proposed by Jost et al. (2007).
Each site included 61 depth and 13 density measurements.
Over three winter seasons (2019–2022), we conducted 26,360 depth and 5,616 density measurements across the three catchments.
For data consistency, we strongly recommend aggregating measurements by snow courses, sites, or catchments rather than using individual values.

Latest Updates (v5 2025):
Snow observations from the 2021/2022 season are now included.
The complete 2019–2022 database has been finalized.
A new dataset on bulk snowpack isotopic composition (2019–2022) has been added.