Articles | Volume 18, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-4657-2014
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-4657-2014
Research article
 | 
26 Nov 2014
Research article |  | 26 Nov 2014

Model simulations of the modulating effect of the snow cover in a rain-on-snow event

N. Wever, T. Jonas, C. Fierz, and M. Lehning

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AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
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Peer-review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (25 Jul 2014) by Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
AR by Nander Wever on behalf of the Authors (05 Sep 2014)  Author's response    Manuscript
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (08 Sep 2014) by Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (17 Sep 2014)
ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (10 Oct 2014) by Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
AR by Nander Wever on behalf of the Authors (15 Oct 2014)  Author's response    Manuscript
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Short summary
We simulated a severe rain-on-snow event in the Swiss Alps in October 2011 with a detailed multi-layer snow cover model. We found a strong modulating effect of the incoming rainfall signal by the snow cover. Initially, water from both rainfall and snow melt was absorbed by the snowpack. But once the snowpack released the stored water, simulated outflow rates exceeded rainfall and snow melt rates. The simulations suggest that structural snowpack changes enhanced the outflow during this event.