An Energy Balance Snowmelt Model for Application at a Continental Alpine Site

The objectives of this study are to measure and evaluate the energy balance of a continental alpine snowpack during spring snowmelt conditions, to evaluate the performance of a point energy and mass balance model of a snow cover in alpine conditions. The investigation is conducted during the 1997 snowmelt season at Niwot Ridge in the Colorado Front Range. Further comparisons of the modeled results to the previously described measured results are made below the energy budget terms. The fluxes are corroborated using a point energy and mass balance model for a snowpack to determining snowpack energy exchanges, with minor differences found between flux magnitudes. This comparison suggests that the representation of internal snowpack energy and mass exchange processes is generally orrect.