Buried in billions: The mind-blowing weight of the GTA’s snowfall
The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has seen a fair amount of snowfall recently, so how much would the snowpack actually weigh? We've figured out the mathematics to find the answer
After seven days of relentless snowfall, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is experiencing its deepest snowpack since the historic winter of 1998-99.
But here’s a question: What does all that snow actually weigh?
SEE ALSO: Why this winter's snow could weigh more than a trillion tonnes
(Michael Vann/The Weather Network)
Thankfully, we only need a few key measurements to estimate the total weight of the snowpack: Snow depth and its water equivalent (SWE)––the amount of water the snow would produce if it melted.
How we estimate the weight of the snowpack
Across the GTA, numerous volunteer observers contribute snowpack measurements to CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network). By checking reports from last Monday, we can estimate the water content of the snowpack.
Burlington: 53.3 cm of snow, containing 108 mm of snow water equivalent
King City: 69 cm of snow, containing 89.2 mm of snow water equivalent
While fresh snowfall typically has a 10-to-1, snow-to-water ratio, this snowpack has had time to settle and compact, increasing its density. Based on observations, we’ll use a 100 mm (0.1 m) snow water equivalent as a reasonable average for the GTA.
The calculation: how heavy is the snow?
The GTA covers an area of 7,124 km² or 7.124 × 10⁹ m².
Using the 100 mm SWE (0.1 m) depth estimate: Volume equals area times SWE equals (7.124×109m2)×(0.1m), resulting in 7.124×108m3.
Since water weighs 1000 kg per cubic metre, the total mass is: 7.124×108m3×1000kg/m3= 7.124×1011kg
That’s 712 billion kilograms of snow sitting on the ground across the GTA this week.
In other words, that's more than 6,000 CN Towers 🗼 (each weighing ~117.9 million kg), 570 million cars 🚗 (assuming an average car weighs 1,250 kg) and 284,960 Olympic-sized swimming pools 🏊♂️ (each holding ~2,500 m³ of water).
No wonder cleanup has been tedious and slow. Even for a city that’s used to winter storms, it’s an astounding amount of snow.
The sheer weight of the snowpack highlights just how extraordinary this stretch of winter weather has been. It’s a reminder of the incredible power of nature––one snowflake at a time.
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With files from Kevin MacKay, a meteorologist at The Weather Network.