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Thanks James I never took ( actually thought it would be warmer )into consideration the runoff to be colder then the water itself.
Learn more here by accident then by design.
Snow melts at 32 degrees and as it flows over existing snow pack and through ditches lined with still more snow… it isn’t warming much. As I drove down to the resort on Tuesday night there was a lot of melt water running in the gullies and ditches and all of it was running over the top of existing snow pack and moving very fast. That water entering the river is going to be very clear and cold.
Once we get all the snow off the fields and out of the ditches then subsequent snow melt will start to slow down due to reduced volume and come into contact with dark ground which has absorbed energy and warmth from the sun. That heat can warm the melt water and will also quickly thaw the surface layers of dirt in the ditches and fields. Once that happens will start to see a lot more “color” in the run off. Happy 3 way riggers and plastics pitchers will be right behind.