Influence of canopy structure and direct beam solar irradiance on snowmelt rates in a mixed conifer forest

► Sub-canopy snowmelt inferred from a network of depth sensors and density surveys. ► Canopy structure from hemispherical photos explains observed snowmelt. ► Detailed direct beam canopy transmissivity used to estimate sub-canopy irradiance. ► Rs↓dir and SVF explain most melt during clear and cloudy seasons, respectively. ► No single canopy metric explained >41% of the variability for all three seasons.