Item: Understanding the Spatial Variability of Surface Hoar at the Mountain Range Scale
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Title: Understanding the Spatial Variability of Surface Hoar at the Mountain Range Scale
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop 2014 Proceedings, Banff, Canada
Authors:
- Jordy Hendrikx [ Snow and Avalanche Lab, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA ]
- Lauren Yokley [ Snow and Avalanche Lab, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA ]
- Tom Leonard [ Yellowstone Club Ski Patrol, Big Sky, MT, USA ]
Date: 2014-09-29
Abstract: Surface hoar once buried, often produces a persistent weak layer that commonly causes instability in the snow pack in many areas around the world. It is relatively well understood that aspect plays an important role in the location of the growth, and survival of surface hoar. However, this alone does not explain the complex spatial pattern of these grains forms at larger, mountain range scales. Furthermore, previous studies of surface hoar have either only taken observations on one or two slope, or modelled the distribution across larger spatial scales. In this paper we present an analysis of the spatial variability of surface hoar, using data from a detailed case study located on Pioneer Mountain at the Yellowstone Club in southwestern Montana, USA. We examine two winters of paired meteorological data and surface hoar observations for 127 days for 16 sites distributed across all four aspects and at different elevations on Pioneer Mountain. These data were collected between December 2011 and April 2014. Using these snowpack data, combined with topographic variables and sky view we examine the dominant controls that can explain the spatial patterns of surface hoar at this scale. Our preliminary results show that small-scale site characteristics which influence micrometeorological conditions can greatly influence the spatial variability of surface hoar, over and above that which aspect alone can explain. These results highlight our incomplete understanding of the processes at this scale, and have implications for both regional and local scale avalanche forecasting.
Object ID: ISSW14_paper_P1.35.pdf
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s):
Keywords: Spatial variability, Surface hoar, Forecasting.
Page Number(s): 580-582
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