Comparison of estimates of snow input with a small alpine catchment

Abstract

We have used five methods to estimate the snow water equivalent input to the Glacier Lakes Ecosystem Experiments Site (GLEES) in south-central Wyoming during the winter 1987–1988 and to obtain an estimate of the errors. The methods are: (1) the Martinec and Rango degree-day method; (2) Wooldridge et al. method of determining the average yearly snowfall from tree morphology; (3) precipitation gage measurements from the Wyoming Water Research Center Snowy Range Observatory; (4) NADP collector data; (5) an independent estimate from snow core data from a small catchment in the GLEES. Estimated water input ranged from a low of 65 cm H 2O (liquid water equivalent) for the precipitation gage to a high of 85 cm H 2O for the Martinec and Rango method. An evaluation of the biases in the methods indicate that the true value may be nearer the high end of this range.