Abstract: The Yarlung Zangbo River (YZR) basin is located in a cold plateau area. Understanding the spatiotemporal characteristics of its snow cover is of great significance to the construction of projects and the prevention and control of snow disasters. In this study, the characteristics of snow depth in this basin are examined using the Mann-Kendall trend analysis and Pearson correlation analysis, based on the snow cover depth data set of China (1979-2021) and the monthly precipitation and temperature data set of China. The results show the snow cover depth presents a spatial trend of higher at two ends and lower in the middle, with a deep snow cover over the river sources in the west and over the northeastern margin. The snow cover is distributed mostly at an elevation of 4000-5200 m with a slope milder than 35°, and the deepest snow is mostly located around the elevation of 4850 m. During 1979-2021, the annual average snow depth decreased at a rate of 0.032 cm/a, taking its lowest value in the year of 2017. In recent years, the snow depth has gradually rebounded to the multi-year average level. The annual mean temperature is increasing at a rate of about 0.024 ℃/a, and it has a significant negative correlation with snow cover depth.

Key words: Yarlung Zangbo River basin, snow cover depth, spatiotemporal distribution, meteorological factor, hydropower development