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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Cited articles

Badoux, A., Hofer, M., and Jonas, T. (Eds.): Hydrometeorologische Analyse des Hochwasser-ereignisses vom 10. Oktober 2011, Birmensdorf, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL; Davos, WSL-Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF; Zürich, Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss; Bern, geo7 geowissenschaftliches Büro; Bern, Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, in German, 2013.
Calonne, N., Geindreau, C., Flin, F., Morin, S., Lesaffre, B., Rolland du Roscoat, S., and Charrier, P.: 3-D image-based numerical computations of snow permeability: links to specific surface area, density, and microstructural anisotropy, The Cryosphere, 6, 939–951, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-939-2012, 2012.
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Hirashima, H., Yamaguchi, S., Sato, A., and Lehning, M.: Numerical modeling of liquid water movement through layered snow based on new measurements of the water retention curve, Cold Reg. Sci. Technol., 64, 94–103, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2010.09.003, 2010.
Jordan, P.: Meltwater movement in a deep snowpack: 1. Field observations, Water Resour. Res., 19, 971–978, https://doi.org/10.1029/WR019i004p00971, 1983.
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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.