SEASONAL SNOW ACCUMULATION, MELT AND WATER INPUT - A NEW ENGLAND MODEL.

Abstract

Two geographic parameters, elevation and latitude, account for much of the spatial variation of temperature and precipitation over New England during the winter and spring seasons. Since temperature controls the amount of precipitation which falls as snow and is highly related to snowmelt, a spatial seasonal climatology of snow accumulation, melt and water input can be derived by modeling the elevation and latitude effects on temperature and precipitation distributions. Such a model is developed primarily from Agricultural Research Service Sleepers River Watershed data in northern Vermont. Melt and water input are estimated for 10-day time steps through the snow accumulation and melt season. Model estimations of snowpack water equivalent represent a 46% improvement over climatological averages. Comparable skill is obtained in specifying water input. This model enables much of the climatic and 10-day synoptic information on snowpack accumulation, melt and water input over unobserved watersheds to be estimated from ordinary National Weather Service network temperature and precipitation observations.