Water supply exceeds infiltration rate and there is Horton overland flow.
If water supply lasts long enough for substrate to saturate, driving the
infiltration rate to zero, there is overland flow amounting to the original
flow plus the amount originally deducted by infiltration rate. For the high
infiltration rate of snow, this is a whale of a lot of rain unless the
temperature gradient is such that, as with a back country ski, wet from the
sunny snow, that hits cold snow beneath, the water freezes into an
impermeable layer.
Good observations, Al. You are blessed to have seen it.
Dave
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