Process-based hydrology models are critical for understanding streamflow and water supply under global change. However, these models require parameterization which introduces additional uncertainty into the models. The role that these parameters play in driving uncertainty is under-studied, especially for intermediary processes outside of streamflow. An important example in snowmelt dominant regions are intermediary processes related to snowpack accumulation and ablation. We examine the sensitivity of snow magnitude and duration to eleven parameters relevant to snow processes in the coupled crop-hydrology model VIC-CropSyst using a hybrid global–local Distributed Evaluation of Local Sensitivity Analysis approach. With the Pacific Northwest US as a case study, our specific research questions are: (a) What is the sensitivity response of peak snow water equivalent (SWE) and snow duration and how does it vary in the parameter space? (b) What are the key drivers of the sensitivity response? and (c) Which of the most sensitive parameters can we immediately improve by leveraging existing data products? Both target variables were sensitive to less than four of the eleven parameters. We found that peak SWE was most sensitive to either the precipitation partitioning temperature threshold or the albedo of new snow, depending on the geography and associated interplay between hydro-meteorological factors. In contrast, snow duration was primarily sensitive to the albedo of new snow and the albedo decay coefficient during snowmelt. Machine learning explainability workflows applied on the sensitivity response explained the model behavior and determined key geographic and hydro-meteorological drivers of the sensitivity response. Regions where the significant precipitation co-occurred with near-freezing temperature exhibited higher sensitivity of peak SWE to precipitation partitioning. In contrast, much colder high-elevation regions that have a delayed snowmelt-driven runoff when downward shortwave radiation is higher, displayed more sensitivity to albedo parameters. We also noted differences in the list of key parameters and in the level of sensitivity between our work and the limited comparable existing work. This highlights the need for comprehensive sensitivity analysis of snow metrics to become a routine component of hydrology model application studies in addition to streamflow. This is critical for us to better understand model behavior, identify key model parameters that can benefit from more dynamic representation in the models, and strategically improve models to best support decision-makers.