Snow weight
The density and weight of snow depend primarily on the air temperature. While it forms as hexagonal star-shaped crystals, it can already interlock during the fall. If layers of snow lie on top of each other, the layers change through recrystallisation.
| Snow type | Mass per m³ | Snow depth at 100 kg/m² |
| Dry, loose fresh snow | 30 - 50 kg | ca. 200 - 300 cm |
| Bound fresh snow | 50 - 100 kg | ca. 100 - 200 cm |
| Heavily bound fresh snow | 100 - 200 kg | ca. 50 - 100 cm |
| Dry old snow | 200 - 400 kg | ca. 25 - 50 cm |
| Wet old snow | 300 - 500 kg | ca. 20 - 35 cm |
| Perennial firn | 500 - 800 kg | ca. 12 - 20 cm |
| Ice | 800 - 900 kg | ca. 11 - 12 cm |
What is the effect of the snow load?
The snow load generally acts as a surface load perpendicular to the base surface.