An evaluation of methods for determining during-storm precipitation phase and the rain/snow transition elevation at the surface in a mountain basin

被引:140
作者
Marks, D. [1 ]
Winstral, A. [1 ]
Reba, M. [2 ]
Pomeroy, J. [3 ]
Kumar, M. [4 ]
机构
[1] ARS, Northwest Watershed Res Ctr, USDA, Boise, ID USA
[2] ARS, Natl Sedimentat Lab, USDA, Jonesboro, AR USA
[3] Univ Saskatchewan, Ctr Hydrol, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
[4] Duke Univ, Nicholas Sch Environm, Durham, NC 27708 USA
基金
加拿大自然科学与工程研究理事会; 美国国家科学基金会;
关键词
Snow; Mountain hydrology; Precipitation phase; RAIN-ON-SNOW; COVER ENERGY-BALANCE; REYNOLDS CREEK; AIR-TEMPERATURE; DUAL-GAUGE; IDAHO; SIMULATION; DEPOSITION; DATABASE; TERRAIN;
D O I
10.1016/j.advwatres.2012.11.012
中图分类号
TV21 [水资源调查与水利规划];
学科分类号
081501 ;
摘要
Determining surface precipitation phase is required to properly correct precipitation gage data for wind effects, to determine the hydrologic response to a precipitation event, and for hydrologic modeling when rain will be treated differently from snow. In this paper we present a comparison of several methods for determining precipitation phase using 12 years of hourly precipitation, weather and snow data from a long-term measurement site at Reynolds Mountain East (RME), a headwater catchment within the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed (RCEW), in the Owyhee Mountains of Idaho, USA. Methods are based on thresholds of (1) air temperature (T-a) at 0 degrees C, (2) dual T-a threshold, 1 to 3 degrees C, (3) dewpoint temperature (T-d) at 0 degrees C, and (4) wet bulb temperature (T-w) at 0 degrees C. The comparison shows that at the RME Grove site, the dual threshold approach predicts too much snow, while T-a, T-d and T-w are generally similar predicting equivalent snow volumes over the 12 year-period indicating that during storms the cloud level is at or close to the surface at this location. To scale up the evaluation of these methods we evaluate them across a 380 m elevation range in RCEW during a large mixed-phase storm event. The event began as snow at all elevations and over the course of 4 h transitioned to rain at the lowest through highest elevations. Using 15-minute measurements of precipitation, changes in snow depth (z(s)), T-a, T-d and T-w, at seven sites through this elevation range, we found precipitation phase linked to the during-storm surface humidity. By measuring humidity along an elevation gradient during the storm we are able to track changes in T-d to reliably estimate precipitation phase and effectively track the elevation of the rain/snow transition during the event. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
引用
收藏
页码:98 / 110
页数:13
相关论文
共 66 条
  • [31] Marks D, 2001, IAHS-AISH P, P129
  • [32] Marks D, 1999, HYDROL PROCESS, V13, P1935, DOI 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1085(199909)13:12/13<1935::AID-HYP868>3.0.CO
  • [33] 2-C
  • [34] Marks D, 2001, J HYDROMETEOROL, V2, P213, DOI 10.1175/1525-7541(2001)002<0213:COSDTS>2.0.CO
  • [35] 2
  • [36] Simulating snowmelt processes during rain-on-snow over a semi-arid mountain basin
    Marks, D
    Link, T
    Winstral, A
    Garen, D
    [J]. ANNALS OF GLACIOLOGY, VOL 32, 2001, 2001, 32 : 195 - 202
  • [37] Marks D., 2007, Journal of Applied and Service Climatology, v, V2007, P1
  • [38] Rain-on-snow events in the western United States
    McCabe, Gregory J.
    Clark, Martyn P.
    Hay, Lauren E.
    [J]. BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, 2007, 88 (03) : 319 - +
  • [39] Systematic correction of precipitation gauge observations using analyzed meteorological variables
    Michelson, DB
    [J]. JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY, 2004, 290 (3-4) : 161 - 177
  • [40] Nash J. E., 1970, Journal of Hydrology, V10, P282, DOI DOI 10.1016/0022-1694(70)90255-6