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Dust-on-Snow: Adapting to The New Normal NWS Coordination Meeting Grand Junction November 22, 2013 Chris Landry CODOS Colorado Dust-on-Snow Program Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies Silverton, CO. Colorado Plateau. Event D6-WY2013 In Progress - April 8, 2013 - Silverton.
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Dust-on-Snow: Adapting to The New Normal NWS Coordination Meeting Grand Junction November 22, 2013 Chris Landry CODOS Colorado Dust-on-Snow Program Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies Silverton, CO Colorado Plateau
Dust Event D8-WY2013 in Progress – 12:00 noon, April 16, 2013
Senator Beck Basin, SASP – April 22, 2013 Dust Storm of 60+ Hours Duration D8 D7 D6 47 gm/m2 (419 lbs/acre)
Dust-on-Snow Events are Extensive but Not Always Apparent May 9, 2013 – Hoosier Pass CODOS site May 10, 2013 - Berthoud Summit CODOS site D8 D6
The apparent trend is confirmed … dust deposition is increasing J. Brahney, A.P. Ballantyne, C. Sievers, J.C. Neff. Increasing Ca2+ deposition in the western US: the role of mineral aerosols.Aeolian Research (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aeolia.2013.04.003
Yield Effects? Is Dust-Induced Surface Roughness Increasing Sublimation and/or Evaporation, and Reducing Runoff Yields? http://snowstudies.org/dust/_SurfaceRoughness/index.html
The New Normal … May 5, 2013 – looking west from Senator Beck Basin • Dust-on-snow, when exposed, lowers snow albedo and increases melt energy budget • Dust deposition has increased more than 200% in Colorado since the 90’s • Colorado Plateau is the primary dust source area; soil disturbance and drought are key • Water Year 2013 produced two extreme events (D6 April 8th and D8 April 15-17th) • Dust-on-snow is causing erratic, “flashy” runoff; spring weather still matters • Dust-on-snow is also affecting snowmelt runoff yields; needs more research • The State Water Plan should address dust-on-snow impacts on Colorado runoff; snowmelt timing and/or rates are significantly departing from ‘median’ hydrograph • CSAS’s CODOS program is a stakeholder-driven effort to monitor and adapt to dust; Federal agencies are pursuing improved runoff forecasting and source area science