Why does spring snowmelt supply much of the Dnieper River’s annual flow?

Spring snowmelt is the primary driver of the Dnieper River’s annual discharge because the river’s upper basin experiences significant accumulation of snow during the winter months, which then thaws as temperatures rise in the spring.1

This seasonal process is a defining feature of the river's hydrology, with approximately 60 percent of the total annual runoff occurring between March and May. While human-made dams have altered the river's natural flow regime to manage water resources, the influx from melting snow in the upper course remains the most substantial contributor to the river's volume each year. This pattern is characteristic of rivers in regions with a continental climate, where the transition from winter to spring triggers a rapid release of stored water into the river system.12