Abstract
Snow density is used to design avalanche protection structures and buildings in snowy regions. It has thus far been derived from relational equations that use only snow depth. However, the density of actual snow cover varies due to regional conditions, such as temperature. To propose a method of estimating snow density using regional snow cover characteristics, we focused on snow and air temperature as factors influencing snow density. A multiple regression analysis with the average density of snow cover as the dependent variable was conducted based on the results of snow pit observations at nine places in Niigata and Nagano prefectures. An equation with snow depth and the average temperature of snow cover as independent variables was obtained. This equation can be used to estimate snow density according to snow temperature even for the same snow depth.
