How to detect snow fall occurence during blowing snow event?

• Main Authors: Naaim-Bouvet, F., Bellot, Hervé, Nishimura, Kouichi, Genthon, Christophe, Palerme, Cyril, Guyomarc'H, Gilbert
• Other Authors: Erosion torrentielle neige et avalanches (UR ETGR (ETNA)), Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA), Nagoya Institute of Technology (NIT), Laboratoire de glaciologie et géophysique de l'environnement (LGGE), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG), Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre national de recherches météorologiques (CNRM), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2012
• Subjects: NEIGE SOUFFLEE; CONGERE; CHUTE DE NEIGE; ALPES; ANTARCTIQUE; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctica; Antarctique*; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00744559; https://hal.science/hal-00744559/document; https://hal.science/hal-00744559/file/gr2012-pub00036211.pdf

[Departement_IRSTEA]Eaux [TR1_IRSTEA]RIVAGE International audience In mountainous areas, drifting snow influences the spatial distribution of the snow cover and consequently snowpack stability and avalanche risk. When comparing models with in situ-measurements, it is first necessary to identify snow-drift events with and without concurrent falling snow. In Antarctica, the mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet is a key parameter of sea level rise, which can be moderated by accumulation change. However, in the coastal areas where katabatic winds are strong and frequent, it is necessary to identify and separate blowing snow and precipitation. It was shown that size distribution of blowing snow particles given by a snow particle counter at a specific height can be approximated by a two-parameter gamma probability function and that a bi-modal distribution could appear at high elevation when snow fall occurs (Nishimura and Nemoto, 2005). In such way, it could be possible to evaluate precipitation. But depending on the height, the size of snow fall particle and the wind speed it is not so easy to distinguish between both types of events. In such case, the analysis of snow flux and mean diameter according to wind speed allows to separate blowing snow event with and without precipitation. It gives better results in predicting the timing of precipitation than done by precipitation gauges. A simpler photoelectric counter such as designed by Wenglor could also give some interesting results. These conclusions are supported by field campaigns conducted in French Alps and in Antarctica (coastal Adélie Land) during last winters.