Item: Some Characteristics of Upside-Down Storms in the Northern Sierra Nevada, California-Nevada, USA
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Title: Some Characteristics of Upside-Down Storms in the Northern Sierra Nevada, California-Nevada, USA
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop 2016 Proceedings, Breckenridge, CO, USA
Authors:
- Benjamin Hatchett [ Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, USA ]
- Michael L. Kaplan [ Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, USA ]
- Susan Burak [ Snow Survey Associates, Bishop, CA, USA ]
Date: 2016-10-02
Abstract: Upside-down storms (UDSs) are winter precipitation events where temperature increases with time. We postulate that all mid-winter increases in streamflow will result from UDSs due to high snow levels and extreme precipitation. We identified UDSs using two 915 Mhz S-band snow level radars along the windward side of the northern Sierra Nevada and five streamflow gauges between 2010-2014. UDSs were defined as times when snow levels rose more than 500 m and took place during mid-winter increases in runoff. We explored the characteristics of these storms using atmospheric reanalysis products, surface weather and satellite observations. A prototypical case study is provided. With one exception, all UDSs coincided with mid-winter peak runoff events resulting from the high snow levels (mean snow level 2.2 km msl) and extreme precipitation (>95 percentile). All UDS cases occurred during the presence of one or more landfalling atmospheric rivers. The definition of UDSs should be expanded to include these key drivers of snow hydrological extremes (high snow levels, rain-on-snow, and extreme precipitation).
Object ID: ISSW16_P4.03.pdf
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s):
Keywords: Upside-down storm, snow level, snow hydrology, atmospheric river
Page Number(s): 1165-1172
Subjects: snow hydrology upside-down storm atmospheric river
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