SnowMIP - An Intercomparison of Snow Models: First Results

Many snow models are now used for various applications such as hydrology, global circulation models, snow monitoring, snow physics research and avalanche forecasting. The degree of complexity of these models is highly variable, from simple index methods to multi-layer models simulating the snow cover stratigraphy and texture. The main objective of the intercomparison project SnowMJP (Snow Model Intercomparison Project) is to identify key processes for each application. Four sites have been selected for the representativeness of their snowpack and the quality of the collected data. 26 models have participated in intercomparison by simulating the snowpack with the observed meteorological parameters. The validation of the simulation consists in comparing the results with snow pack observations. In a first step, the analysis focuses on the snow water simulation (compared with weekly snow pits). In particular, the snow water equivalent (SWE) maximum and the snow cover duration are two interesting features to consider, because they allow the estimation of the models abilities in terms of simulating the accumulation and melting periods.