Analysis of Cold Airmass Temperature Modification across the U.S. Great Plains as a Consequence of Snow Depth and Albedo

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Abstract The presence of snow cover has been shown to modify atmospheric conditions through much of the earth’s troposphere due to its radiative effects. Snow cover has garnered much attention in recent decades as a result of concerns associated with potential changes in the global environment that may be intensified by the presence or absence of a snow cover. As a result, a greater emphasis has been placed on the representation of snow cover in weather and climate prediction models. This study investigates the effects of snow albedo and snow depth on the modification of surface air temperatures within cold air masses moving across the U.S. Great Plains in winter. Through the adaptation of a one-dimensional snowpack model, the thermal characteristics of the core of a cold air mass were derived from the equation governing the heat balance between the surface and the lower atmosphere. The methodology was based on the premise that the core of a cold air mass may be considered homogeneous and not subject to a...