Study on the conditions necessary for blowing snow to occur in which multiple meteorological elements are considered

Abstract:

Elucidation of the conditions under which blowing snow occurs is important not only in mitigating snowstorm-related disasters but also in discussing the mass balance of water. The major factor for the occurrence of blowing snow is strong winds. However, the conditions that cause blowing snow are complicated, because temperature, the condition of the snow surface, and the presence or absence of falling snow affect blowing snow occurrence. We created a formula for determining the conditions under which blowing snow will occur, based on multiple meteorological elements. In this presentation, we report the results of analysis on the occurrence conditions of blowing snow without concurrent falling snow. The observation data used in the analysis were obtained in Hokkaido, northern Japan, from December 2012 to April 2013. The observed items were air temperature, wind velocity, intensity of solar radiation, snow depth and the mass flux of blowing snow particles. In addition to the above, videos were taken to determine the presence of blowing snow. After the blowing snow events were extracted, each meteorological element was compared with the frequency of blowing snow occurrence. The analysis found that the frequency tended to be low when 12 or more hours had passed after a snowfall event or when the maximum air temperature exceeded 2 °C. It is thought that the snow particles sinter together and the surface of the snow pack hardens, and that such sintering makes it difficult for the particles fly off from the snow surface. It was shown that the frequency of blowing snow occurrence is high when large amounts of fresh snow are on the ground. Based on the above examinations, a formula for determining the occurrence of blowing snow was created using the discriminate analysis method. An accuracy verification test found the formula to have a hit ratio of 92.3%. The verification test showed the formula to be useful in determining the occurrence of blowing snow.