A case study of the measurement of snowfall by radar: An assessment of accuracy

✍ Scribed by C. G. Collier; P. R. Larke

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1978
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 806 KB
• Volume: 104
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0035-9009
• DOI: 10.1002/qj.49710444106

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Radar measurements during a period of snowfall in a region of variable terrain are described. The accuracy of estimates of areal snow depth, using a calibrated radar, is shown to be similar to that achieved for areal rainfall using the same technique. This detailed case study supports similar conclusions made by other workers, who used more cases but fewer validating measurements. It is also shown that provided the variations in terrain height are not very large, compensation for the effects of melting over low terrain can be made in deriving the snow depth field by using two independent snow depth calibration measurements ‐ one representative of upland areas, and the other of lowland areas.