diff --git a/src/offline/cable.nml b/src/offline/cable.nml
index e8c104bb5..bc535e608 100644
--- a/src/offline/cable.nml
+++ b/src/offline/cable.nml
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
    redistrb = .FALSE.  ! Turn on/off the hydraulic redistribution
    wiltParam = 0.5
    satuParam = 0.8
+	 snmin = 1.0	
    cable_user%FWSOIL_SWITCH = 'standard'        ! choices are: 
                                                  ! 1. standard 
                                                  ! 2. non-linear extrapolation 
diff --git a/src/offline/cable_driver_common.F90 b/src/offline/cable_driver_common.F90
index 2de00624f..c76336a7a 100644
--- a/src/offline/cable_driver_common.F90
+++ b/src/offline/cable_driver_common.F90
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ MODULE cable_driver_common_mod
     redistrb,                     &
     wiltParam,                    &
     satuParam,                    &
+    snmin,                        &
     cable_user,                   &
     gw_params,                    &
     cable_runtime
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ MODULE cable_driver_common_mod
     redistrb,       &
     wiltParam,      &
     satuParam,      &
+    snmin,          &
     cable_user,     & ! additional USER switches
     gw_params
 
diff --git a/src/util/cable_common.F90 b/src/util/cable_common.F90
index 33e4af2c3..bcfe72a36 100644
--- a/src/util/cable_common.F90
+++ b/src/util/cable_common.F90
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ MODULE cable_common_module
 USE cable_runtime_opts_mod ,ONLY : cable_user
 USE cable_runtime_opts_mod ,ONLY : satuparam
 USE cable_runtime_opts_mod ,ONLY : wiltparam
+USE cable_runtime_opts_mod ,ONLY : snmin
 
   IMPLICIT NONE
 
@@ -207,7 +208,8 @@ MODULE cable_common_module
        snow_ccnsw = 2.0, &
                                 !jh!an:clobber - effectively force single layer snow
                                 !snmin = 100.0,      & ! for 1-layer;
-       snmin = 1.,          & ! for 3-layer;
+       ! moved to runtime option, set through cable.nml
+       !snmin = 1.,          & ! for 3-layer;
        max_ssdn = 750.0,    & !
        max_sconds = 2.51,   & !
        frozen_limit = 0.85    ! EAK Feb2011 (could be 0.95)
diff --git a/src/util/cable_runtime_opts_mod.F90 b/src/util/cable_runtime_opts_mod.F90
index 0c3b01273..8719cbc06 100644
--- a/src/util/cable_runtime_opts_mod.F90
+++ b/src/util/cable_runtime_opts_mod.F90
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@ MODULE cable_runtime_opts_mod
 
 IMPLICIT NONE
 
-  ! hydraulic_redistribution parameters _soilsnow module
-REAL :: wiltParam = 0.0, satuParam = 0.0
+! hydraulic_redistribution parameters _soilsnow module
+REAL :: wiltParam = 0.0
+REAL :: satuParam = 0.0
+! depth at which to switch to 3 layer snow, default is ESM1.5 value
+REAL :: snmin = 1.0
 
 ! user switches turned on/off by the user thru namelists
 ! CABLE-2.0 user switches all in single namelist file cable.nml