Aerial reconnaissance of mountain snow fields for maintaining up-to-date forecasts of snow melt runoff during the melt season

TitleAerial reconnaissance of mountain snow fields for maintaining up-to-date forecasts of snow melt runoff during the melt season
Publication TypeConference Proceedings
Year of Conference1959
AuthorsParsons, W. J., and Castle G. H.
Conference Name27th Annual Western Snow Conference
Series TitleProceedings of the 27th Annual Western Snow Conference
Date PublishedApril 1959
PublisherWestern Snow Conference
Conference LocationReno, Nevada
KeywordsPhotography snow line, Runoff, Snow cover distribution, Snowmelt
Abstract

A simple graphical method of determining the runoff volume to be expected after any date in the melt season by means of serial surveys of the snow line is described and evaluated on the basis of a 6-year study of the Kings and Kern River basins in California. Snow-line areas are sketched while in flight by using a transparent overlay on an aeronautical chart. Registration marks are placed on the overlay for use with subsequent flights. The areas are measured and the volumes computed. Water content of snow surveys are used to compute the volume of water remaining in the snowpack. This data is applied graphically to charts to determine the volume of water to be expected during the ensuing months of the runoff period. The resultant current forecasts had average errors of less than 10 percent during the critical period from 75-30 days before the end of the melt season.

URLsites/westernsnowconference.org/PDFs/1959Parsons.pdf