Snow and Ice

Snow and Water on the Surface
Snow/water fluxes

SNOW/ICE - at freezing temperatures surface water becomes ice, which then melts as temperature grows above 0o(C). Snow/Ice can appear directly during a precipitation event if the temperature is below freezing, or it can come from freezing the already available surface water.

The surface water is delivered by rain and is then gradually infiltrated into the ground. It can also freeze into snow/ice when temperature is below 0o(C). Under freezing conditions the precipitation also arrives as snow.

As a result we may observe a rapid accumulation of snow during the first cold months of the year. Later on snow/ice disappears and the dynamics are similar to those generated by the surface water dynamics model. At the end of the year again freezing temperatures occur and again some snow/ice is produced.

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