scholarly journals Snow water equivalent interpolation for the Colorado River Basin from snow telemetry (SNOTEL) data

2003 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. Fassnacht ◽  
K. A. Dressler ◽  
R. C. Bales
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Colorado River ◽  
Snow Water Equivalent ◽  
Colorado River Basin ◽  
Snow Water ◽  
Snow Telemetry

scholarly journals Temporal inconsistencies in coarse-scale snow water equivalent patterns: Colorado River Basin snow telemetry-topography regressions

Pirineos ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 167 (0) ◽  
pp. 165-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. Fassnacht ◽  
K. A. Dressler ◽  
D. M. Hultstrand ◽  
R. C. Bales ◽  
G. Patterson
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Colorado River ◽  
Snow Water Equivalent ◽  
Colorado River Basin ◽  
Coarse Scale ◽  
Snow Water ◽  
Snow Telemetry

scholarly journals Microwave Snow-Water Equivalent Mapping of the Upper Colorado River Basin, U.S.A. (Abstract)

1987 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 244-245
Author(s):  
W.J. Campbell ◽  
E.G. Josberger ◽  
P. Gloersen ◽  
A.T.C. Chang
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Crystal Size ◽  
Colorado River ◽  
Snow Water Equivalent ◽  
The Other ◽  
Colorado River Basin ◽  
Snow Pack ◽  
Upper Colorado River Basin ◽  
Snow Water

During spring 1984, a joint agency research effort was made to explore the use of satellite passive microwave techniques to measure snow-water equivalents in the upper Colorado River basin. This study involved the near real-time acquisition of microwave radiances from the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) aboard the Nimbus-7 satellite, coupled with quasi-simultaneous surface measurements of snow-pack depth and profiles of temperature, density, and crystal size within the basin. A key idea in this study was to compare, for the same space and time-scales, the SMMR synoptic physics data taken in the basin. Such a snow-measurement program was logistically difficult, but two field teams took detailed snow-pit measurements at 18 sites in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming during the last 2 weeks of March, when the snow-pack is normally at its maximum extent and depth. These observations were coupled with snow-water-equivalent measurements from Soil Conservation Service SNOTEL sites. Microwave- gradient ratio, Gr (Gr is the difference of the vertically polarized radiances at 8 mm and 17 mm divided by the sum), maps of the basin were derived in a near real-time mode every 6 days from SMMR observations. The sequential Gr maps showed anomalously low values in the Wyoming snow-pack when compared to the other states. This near real-time information then directed the field teams to Wyoming to carry out an extensive survey, which showed that these values were due to the presence of depth hoar; the average crystal sizes were more than twice as large as in the other areas. SMMR can be used to monitor the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of crystal size in snow-packs. Also, scatter diagrams of snow-water equivalents from the combined snow-pit and SNOTEL observations versus Gr from the Wyoming part, and the Colorado and Utah part, of the basin can be used to estimate snow-water equivalents for various parts of the basin.

scholarly journals Microwave Snow-Water Equivalent Mapping of the Upper Colorado River Basin, U.S.A. (Abstract)

1987 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 244-245
Author(s):  
W.J. Campbell ◽  
E.G. Josberger ◽  
P. Gloersen ◽  
A.T.C. Chang
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Crystal Size ◽  
Colorado River ◽  
Snow Water Equivalent ◽  
The Other ◽  
Colorado River Basin ◽  
Snow Pack ◽  
Upper Colorado River Basin ◽  
Snow Water

During spring 1984, a joint agency research effort was made to explore the use of satellite passive microwave techniques to measure snow-water equivalents in the upper Colorado River basin. This study involved the near real-time acquisition of microwave radiances from the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) aboard the Nimbus-7 satellite, coupled with quasi-simultaneous surface measurements of snow-pack depth and profiles of temperature, density, and crystal size within the basin. A key idea in this study was to compare, for the same space and time-scales, the SMMR synoptic physics data taken in the basin. Such a snow-measurement program was logistically difficult, but two field teams took detailed snow-pit measurements at 18 sites in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming during the last 2 weeks of March, when the snow-pack is normally at its maximum extent and depth. These observations were coupled with snow-water-equivalent measurements from Soil Conservation Service SNOTEL sites. Microwave- gradient ratio, Gr (Gr is the difference of the vertically polarized radiances at 8 mm and 17 mm divided by the sum), maps of the basin were derived in a near real-time mode every 6 days from SMMR observations. The sequential Gr maps showed anomalously low values in the Wyoming snow-pack when compared to the other states. This near real-time information then directed the field teams to Wyoming to carry out an extensive survey, which showed that these values were due to the presence of depth hoar; the average crystal sizes were more than twice as large as in the other areas. SMMR can be used to monitor the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of crystal size in snow-packs. Also, scatter diagrams of snow-water equivalents from the combined snow-pit and SNOTEL observations versus Gr from the Wyoming part, and the Colorado and Utah part, of the basin can be used to estimate snow-water equivalents for various parts of the basin.

scholarly journals Mesoscale Variability of the Upper Colorado River Snowpack

1996 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 313-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Hai Ling ◽  
Edward G. Josberger ◽  
A.S. Thorndike
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Colorado River ◽  
Snow Water Equivalent ◽  
Statistical Technique ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Colorado River Basin ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
Upper Colorado River Basin ◽  
Snow Water ◽  
Colorado Rocky Mountains

In the mountainous regions of the Upper Colorado River Basin, snow course observations give local measurements of snow water equivalent, which can be used to estimate regional averages of snow conditions. We develop a statistical technique to estimate the mesoscale average snow accumulation, using 8 years of snow course observations. For each of three major snow accumulation regions in the Upper Colorado River Basin – the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Colorado, the Uinta Mountains, Utah, and the Wind River Range, Wyoming – the snow course observations yield a correlation length scale of 38 km, 46 km, and 116 km respectively. This is the scale for which the snow course data at different sites are correlated with 70 per cent correlation. This correlation of snow accumulation over large distances allows for the estimation of the snow water equivalent on a mesoscale basis. With the snow course data binned into 1/4° latitude by 1/4° longitude pixels, an error analysis shows the following: for no snow course data in a given pixel, the uncertainty in the water equivalent estimate reaches 50 cm; that is, the climatological variability. However, as the number of snow courses in a pixel increases the uncertainty decreases, and approaches 5-10 cm when there are five snow courses in a pixel.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Snow Telemetry and Snow Course Measurements in the Colorado River Basin

2006 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 705-712 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Dressler ◽  
S. R. Fassnacht ◽  
R. C. Bales
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources Management ◽  
Colorado River ◽  
Snow Water Equivalent ◽  
Hydrologic Models ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Snow Season ◽  
Spatial Differences ◽  
Snow Water ◽  
Snow Telemetry ◽  
Temporal And Spatial

Abstract Temporal and spatial differences in snow-water equivalent (SWE) at 240 snow telemetry (SNOTEL) and at 500 snow course sites and a subset of 93 collocated sites were evaluated by examining the correlation of site values over the snow season, interpolating point measurements to basin volumes using hypsometry and a maximum snow extent mask, and variogram analysis. The lowest correlation at a point (r = 0.79) and largest interpolated volume differences (as much as 150 mm of SWE over the Gunnison basin) occurred during wet years (e.g., 1993). Interpolation SWE values based on SNOTEL versus snow course sites were not consistently higher or lower relative to each other. Interpolation rmse was comparable for both datasets, increasing later in the snow season. Snow courses correlate over larger distances and have less short-scale variability than SNOTEL sites, making them more regionally representative. Using both datasets in hydrologic models will provide a range of predicted streamflow, which is potentially useful for water resources management.

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