Surface temperature adjustments to improve weather radar representation of multi-temporal winter precipitation accumulations

Hydrologists and water resources managers who work in areas that receive a significant portion of the annual precipitation in the form of snowfall rely on good approximates of snow accumulation in order to assess snowpack volumes for snowmelt streamflow estimation. Weather radar rainfall estimation has been used for hydrological modelling and radar has been used for the estimation of snowfall from individual events, yet radar has rarely been used to measure snowfall accumulation over time periods longer. Snowfall estimates for weekly, monthly, and seasonal accumulation periods have been compared to measured Nipher-shielded Belfort precipitation gauge quantities. A local scaling issue that caused overestimates is discussed. To enhance the accumulation estimates, the conventional scan radar images were adjusted using the near surface air temperatures. The adjustment for mixed precipitation improved the accumulation estimates, while the subsequent particle shape adjustment for snow crystal shape did not further enhance the radar estimates. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.