A hydrometeorological dataset across the rain-to-snow transition at Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory, Idaho.

Abstract:

Hydrometeorological data in the rain-to-snow transition zone are often limited, and better observations are needed to improve the understanding of complex hydrological and biological processes in this climatically sensitive region. We present a complete hydrometeorological dataset for water years 2004 through 2014 for a watershed that spans the rain-snow transition zone. The Johnston Draw watershed (1.8 km²), ranging from 1486 – 1869 m in elevation, is a sub-watershed of the Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory and is located in southwestern Idaho. The dataset includes continuous hourly hydrometeorological variables across the elevational gradient spanning the rain-to-snow zone on north- and south-facing slopes, including air temperature, relative humidity and snow depth from 11 sites in the watershed. We also present hourly measurements of solar radiation, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and soil moisture and temperature at selected stations. In addition, the dataset includes hourly stream discharge measurements at the watershed outlet. Our quality assurance procedures include applying the World Meteorological Organization’s standards to flag erroneous data points and filling data gaps using multiple linear regression with data from surrounding sites. We are currently using these data to model snow accumulation, melt, and hydrological response in the rain-to-snow transition under current and future climate warming and precipitation scenarios. Our work provides the scientific community with a dataset useful for interdisciplinary modeling applications that require meteorological observations, stream discharge, and other hydrological parameters to run and validate models. This will allow for better representation and understanding of the complex processes that occur in the rain-to-snow transition zone.