Analysis of high rages of snow melting

The heat exchange between warm, moist air and the underlying snow surface was found to be influenced chiefly by convection and condensation. These factors were expressed algebraically and combined to yield the effective snow melt. Logarithmic distributions of wind, temperature, and vapor pressure were assumed in developing this equation. Evaluation of constants involved in the turbulent transfer of heat required instruments at two levels in field observation but a single level may be used in connection with the equation for snow melt where reference levers are specified and the roughness parameter is known. The resulting equation then gives snow melt as a function of mean wind velocity, and vapor pressure. Application of this formula to a drainage basin necessitated evaluation of temperature and vapor pressure at different elevations by using conventional linear lapse rates. Corrections also are given for the modifications in the air mass as it moves over a large drainage area. The actual basin snow melt is taken proportional to the theoretical snow melt determined by the equation. The individual constant was evaluated by statistical methods.