A Simple Process-Based Snowmelt Routine to Model Spatially Distributed Snow Depth and Snowmelt in the SWAT Model†

  1. Daniel R. Fuka1,
  2. Zachary M. Easton2,
  3. Erin S. Brooks3,
  4. Jan Boll3,
  5. Tammo S. Steenhuis1,
  6. M. Todd Walter1

Article first published online: 6 AUG 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2012.00680.x

Issue

JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association

JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association

Volume 48, Issue 6, pages 1151–1161, December 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Fuka, D. R., Easton, Z. M., Brooks, E. S., Boll, J., Steenhuis, T. S. and Walter, M. T. (2012), A Simple Process-Based Snowmelt Routine to Model Spatially Distributed Snow Depth and Snowmelt in the SWAT Model. JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 48: 1151–1161. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2012.00680.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Respectively, Graduate Student (Fuka) and Professor (Steenhuis and Walter), Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853

  2. 2

    Assistant Professor (Easton), Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech ESAREC, Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, 33446 Research Drive, Painter, Virginia 23420

  3. 3

    Research Scientist (Brooks) and Professor (Boll), Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho

*(E-Mail/Easton: zeaston@vt.edu).

  1. †

    Paper No. JAWRA-11-0030-P of the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA). Discussions are open until six months from print publication.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 3 DEC 2012
  2. Article first published online: 6 AUG 2012
  3. Received April 5, 2011; accepted May 18, 2012.

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Keywords:

  • snowmelt;
  • snow cover;
  • radiation;
  • energy budget;
  • distributed hydrological model;
  • environmental energy;
  • process-based model;
  • temperature index;
  • SWAT

Abstract:  We present a method to integrate a process-based (PB) snowmelt model that requires only daily temperature and elevation information into the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The model predicts the spatiotemporal snowpack distribution without adding additional complexity, and in fact reduces the number of calibrated parameters. To demonstrate the utility of the PB model, we calibrate the PB and temperature-index (TI) SWAT models to optimize agreement with stream discharge on a 46-km2 watershed in northwestern Idaho, United States, for 10 individual years and use the calibrated parameters for the year with the best agreement to run the model for 15 remaining years. Stream discharge predictions by the PB and TI model were similar, although the PB model simulated snowmelt more accurately than the TI model for the remaining 15-year period. Spatial snow distributions predicted by the PB model better matched observations from LandSat imagery and a SNOTEL station. Results for this watershed show that including PB snowmelt in watershed models is feasible, and calibration of TI-based watershed models against discharge can incorrectly predict snow cover.

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