The mountain snow survey: Its genesis, exodus and revelation

Submitted by vlaplant on Thu, 02/21/2013 - 16:16
TitleThe mountain snow survey: Its genesis, exodus and revelation
Publication TypeConference Proceedings
Year of Conference1940
AuthorsAlter, J. C.
Conference Name8th Annual Western Interstate Snow Survey Conference
Series TitleProceedings of the 8th Annual Western Interstate Snow Survey Conference
Date PublishedJune 1940
PublisherAmerican Geophysical Union, Transactions, Part III-B:
Conference LocationSeattle, Washington
KeywordsPrecipitation, Snow surveys, Water supply forecasting
Abstract

The beginnings and growth of snow survey work is reviewed. A comparison was made of streamflow forecasting from snow survey values and total precipitation measured over a period of 21 years in the Big Cottonwood watershed, near Salt Lake City, Utah. The results indicate an average error of 18.2% using snow survey method and 13.7% using the total precipitation method. It is suggested that stream discharge forecasting is more accurate and efficient with precipitation measurements than snow survey data.
URLsites/westernsnowconference.org/PDFs/1940aAlter.pdf