Articles | Volume 23, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3765-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3765-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
18 Sep 2019
Research article |
| 18 Sep 2019
| 18 Sep 2019
The sensitivity of modeled snow accumulation and melt to precipitation phase methods across a climatic gradient
Geography Department, University of Colorado Boulder, 260 UCB,
Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado
Boulder, 450 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
Department of Geography, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA
Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, Nevada 89512, USA
Noah P. Molotch
Geography Department, University of Colorado Boulder, 260 UCB,
Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado
Boulder, 450 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California
91109, USA
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30 citations as recorded by crossref.
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- Enhancing Engagement of Citizen Scientists to Monitor Precipitation Phase M. Arienzo et al. 10.3389/feart.2021.617594
- Pattern-based downscaling of snowpack variability in the western United States N. Gauthier et al. 10.1007/s00382-021-06094-z
- Snowfall Fraction, Cold Content, and Energy Balance Changes Drive Differential Response to Simulated Warming in an Alpine and Subalpine Snowpack K. Jennings & N. Molotch 10.3389/feart.2020.00186
- Parsimonious Models of Precipitation Phase Derived from Random Forest Knowledge: Intercomparing Logistic Models, Neural Networks, and Random Forest Models L. Campozano et al. 10.3390/w13213022
- Changes in snow water storage and hydrologic partitioning in an alpine catchment in the Colorado Front Range K. Hale et al. 10.1002/hyp.15206
- Evaluating the Performance of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in a Snow-Dominated Climate (Case Study: Azna–Aligoudarz Basin, Iran) Y. Sabzevari et al. 10.3390/atmos16040382
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- Snowtography quantifies effects of forest cover on net water input to soil at sites with ephemeral or stable seasonal snowpack in Arizona, USA R. Dwivedi et al. 10.1002/eco.2494
- Machine learning shows a limit to rain-snow partitioning accuracy when using near-surface meteorology K. Jennings et al. 10.1038/s41467-025-58234-2
- Alignment between water inputs and vegetation green‐up reduces next year's runoff efficiency S. Newcomb et al. 10.1002/hyp.15211
- Detecting Rain–Snow-Transition Elevations in Mountain Basins Using Wireless Sensor Networks G. Cui et al. 10.1175/JHM-D-20-0028.1
- The sensitivity of snow hydrology to changes in air temperature and precipitation in three North American headwater basins K. Rasouli et al. 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.127460
- Investigating Extreme Snowfall Changes in China Based on an Ensemble of High-Resolution Regional Climate Models J. Zhu et al. 10.3390/su15053878
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- Performance of precipitation phase partitioning methods and their impact on snowpack evolution in a humid continental climate N. Leroux et al. 10.1002/hyp.15028
- Snow Level From Post‐Processing of Atmospheric Model Improves Snowfall Estimate and Snowpack Prediction in Mountains V. Vionnet et al. 10.1029/2021WR031778
- Improving Snow‐Process Modeling by Evaluating Reanalysis Vertical Temperature Profiles Using a Distributed Hydrological Model A. Moiz et al. 10.1029/2021JD036174
- Calibrated ensemble forecasts of the height of new snow using quantile regression forests and ensemble model output statistics G. Evin et al. 10.5194/npg-28-467-2021
- Quality assessment of hydrometeorological observational data and their influence on hydrological model results in Alpine catchments F. Hofmeister et al. 10.1080/02626667.2023.2172335
- Runoff response to the uncertainty from key water-budget variables in a seasonally snow-covered mountain basin G. Cui et al. 10.1016/j.ejrh.2023.101601
- Modeling Spatial Distribution of Snow Water Equivalent by Combining Meteorological and Satellite Data with Lidar Maps U. Mital et al. 10.1175/AIES-D-22-0010.1
- Recent decreases in snow water storage in western North America K. Hale et al. 10.1038/s43247-023-00751-3
- Constraining the HBV model for robust water balance assessments in a cold climate H. Erlandsen et al. 10.2166/nh.2021.132
- Spatial and Temporal Variation Characteristics of Snowfall in the Haihe River Basin from 1960 to 2016 X. Wu et al. 10.3390/w13131798
- Crowdsourced Data Highlight Precipitation Phase Partitioning Variability in Rain‐Snow Transition Zone K. Jennings et al. 10.1029/2022EA002714
- Optimizing spatial distribution of watershed-scale hydrologic models using Gaussian Mixture Models T. Maurer et al. 10.1016/j.envsoft.2021.105076
- A Wet‐Bulb Temperature‐Based Rain‐Snow Partitioning Scheme Improves Snowpack Prediction Over the Drier Western United States Y. Wang et al. 10.1029/2019GL085722
- Evaluating Wind Fields for Use in Basin‐Scale Distributed Snow Models D. Reynolds et al. 10.1029/2020WR028536
29 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Effects of Snow Water Storage on Hydrologic Partitioning Across the Mountainous, Western United States K. Hale et al. 10.1029/2023WR034690
- Enhancing Engagement of Citizen Scientists to Monitor Precipitation Phase M. Arienzo et al. 10.3389/feart.2021.617594
- Pattern-based downscaling of snowpack variability in the western United States N. Gauthier et al. 10.1007/s00382-021-06094-z
- Snowfall Fraction, Cold Content, and Energy Balance Changes Drive Differential Response to Simulated Warming in an Alpine and Subalpine Snowpack K. Jennings & N. Molotch 10.3389/feart.2020.00186
- Parsimonious Models of Precipitation Phase Derived from Random Forest Knowledge: Intercomparing Logistic Models, Neural Networks, and Random Forest Models L. Campozano et al. 10.3390/w13213022
- Changes in snow water storage and hydrologic partitioning in an alpine catchment in the Colorado Front Range K. Hale et al. 10.1002/hyp.15206
- Evaluating the Performance of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in a Snow-Dominated Climate (Case Study: Azna–Aligoudarz Basin, Iran) Y. Sabzevari et al. 10.3390/atmos16040382
- Change in the potential snowfall phenology: past, present, and future in the Chinese Tianshan mountainous region, Central Asia X. Li et al. 10.5194/tc-17-2437-2023
- Evaluating the impact of peat soils and snow schemes on simulated active layer thickness at pan-Arctic permafrost sites J. Tao et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/ad38ce
- Snowtography quantifies effects of forest cover on net water input to soil at sites with ephemeral or stable seasonal snowpack in Arizona, USA R. Dwivedi et al. 10.1002/eco.2494
- Machine learning shows a limit to rain-snow partitioning accuracy when using near-surface meteorology K. Jennings et al. 10.1038/s41467-025-58234-2
- Alignment between water inputs and vegetation green‐up reduces next year's runoff efficiency S. Newcomb et al. 10.1002/hyp.15211
- Detecting Rain–Snow-Transition Elevations in Mountain Basins Using Wireless Sensor Networks G. Cui et al. 10.1175/JHM-D-20-0028.1
- The sensitivity of snow hydrology to changes in air temperature and precipitation in three North American headwater basins K. Rasouli et al. 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.127460
- Investigating Extreme Snowfall Changes in China Based on an Ensemble of High-Resolution Regional Climate Models J. Zhu et al. 10.3390/su15053878
- A simple snow temperature index model exposes discrepancies between reanalysis snow water equivalent products A. Elias Chereque et al. 10.5194/tc-18-4955-2024
- Performance of precipitation phase partitioning methods and their impact on snowpack evolution in a humid continental climate N. Leroux et al. 10.1002/hyp.15028
- Snow Level From Post‐Processing of Atmospheric Model Improves Snowfall Estimate and Snowpack Prediction in Mountains V. Vionnet et al. 10.1029/2021WR031778
- Improving Snow‐Process Modeling by Evaluating Reanalysis Vertical Temperature Profiles Using a Distributed Hydrological Model A. Moiz et al. 10.1029/2021JD036174
- Calibrated ensemble forecasts of the height of new snow using quantile regression forests and ensemble model output statistics G. Evin et al. 10.5194/npg-28-467-2021
- Quality assessment of hydrometeorological observational data and their influence on hydrological model results in Alpine catchments F. Hofmeister et al. 10.1080/02626667.2023.2172335
- Runoff response to the uncertainty from key water-budget variables in a seasonally snow-covered mountain basin G. Cui et al. 10.1016/j.ejrh.2023.101601
- Modeling Spatial Distribution of Snow Water Equivalent by Combining Meteorological and Satellite Data with Lidar Maps U. Mital et al. 10.1175/AIES-D-22-0010.1
- Recent decreases in snow water storage in western North America K. Hale et al. 10.1038/s43247-023-00751-3
- Constraining the HBV model for robust water balance assessments in a cold climate H. Erlandsen et al. 10.2166/nh.2021.132
- Spatial and Temporal Variation Characteristics of Snowfall in the Haihe River Basin from 1960 to 2016 X. Wu et al. 10.3390/w13131798
- Crowdsourced Data Highlight Precipitation Phase Partitioning Variability in Rain‐Snow Transition Zone K. Jennings et al. 10.1029/2022EA002714
- Optimizing spatial distribution of watershed-scale hydrologic models using Gaussian Mixture Models T. Maurer et al. 10.1016/j.envsoft.2021.105076
- A Wet‐Bulb Temperature‐Based Rain‐Snow Partitioning Scheme Improves Snowpack Prediction Over the Drier Western United States Y. Wang et al. 10.1029/2019GL085722
1 citations as recorded by crossref.
Latest update: 06 Jun 2025
Short summary
There is a wide variety of modeling methods to designate precipitation as rain, snow, or a mix of the two. Here we show that method choice introduces marked uncertainty to simulated snowpack water storage (> 200 mm) and snow cover duration (> 1 month) in areas that receive significant winter and spring precipitation at air temperatures at and near freezing. This marked uncertainty has implications for water resources management as well as simulations of past and future hydroclimatic states.
There is a wide variety of modeling methods to designate precipitation as rain, snow, or a mix...
