CSU Project #: 5-34693
Sponsor: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Primary Investigator: Dr. Glen E. Liston
Start Date: September 1st, 2012
End Date: August 31st, 2013

• In this project, Liston will be responsible for coupling SnowModel with PRMS and applying the modeling system at selected project headwaters to test whether the more explicit snowpack modeling is required to predict the effects of climate change on peak snowmelt. SnowModel will be used to model the spatial and temporal variations and evolution of local area snow properties and characteristics in the project study area and replace PRMS snow module simulations at the fine-scale resolution.
• In addition, MicroMet, a meteorological model developed by Liston to produce high-resolution atmospheric forcings, will be used to provide daily relative humidity and wind speed and direction for SnowModel as part of the model simulations.
• Liston will also provide SnowModel data outputs to assist in the calibration of PRMS, WB, SnowModel, and UniForc for the upper South Platte River Basin (uSPRB). PRMS, the WB model, and SnowModel will be used to produce detailed (spatial and temporal) projections of current and future hydrologic conditions in the uSPRB. The projections will include over 200 variables describing streamflow, components of flow, soil moisture, groundwater, evapotranspiration, and snowmelt.

  ** No Progress Report **