Item: Variability and Consistency in Select Colorado Snowcourses
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Title: Variability and Consistency in Select Colorado Snowcourses
Proceedings: Proceedings Whistler 2008 International Snow Science Workshop September 21-27, 2008
Authors:
- S.R. Fassnacht [ Watershed Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Coloradoa, USA ]
- M. Skordahl [ Watershed Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Coloradoa, USA ]
- S. Simonson [ Watershed Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Coloradoa, USA ]
Date: 2008-09-22
Abstract: The United States Department of Agriculture has been collecting snow data across the Western United States since the mid-1930s. These data were originally biweekly or monthly snowcourse measurements of snow depth and snow water equivalent (SWE) taken at 10 to 15 stations over a 100 to 300 meter transect. These data are reported as average snow depth, SWE, and density for a particular date, and have been used for various different analyses. Individual snowcourse measurements for five stations of differing accumulation amounts have been used examine their intra-annual and inter-annual variability. The stations include the Tower site which receives on average 55% more snow than any other site in the state. The other sites had varying amounts of accumulation. Four years of weekly data at this site illustrated that the intra-annual variability was consistent except during early accumulation and once melt had initiated. The individual data for April 1st snow depth and SWE illustrated an inverse relationship between variability and quantity of snow.
Object ID: P__8249.pdf
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Steven Fassnacht, Sara Simonson
Keywords: snowcourses, colorado, swe, depth, coefficient of variation
Page Number(s): 964
Subjects: snowpack modeling microstructure variability
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