High-Resolution Snowpack Simulations for Swiss Alpine Terrain

Snowpack simulations for a domain in the Swiss Alps (Dischma) are generated using the Flexible Snow Model (FSM2oshd) with wind and snow redistribution (FSM2trans). The simulations are forced by atmospheric data downscaled to 250m, 100m, and 50m resolutions using the HICAR and COSD methods. The dataset was published by ENVIDAT and updated in 2024.

Use Cases

• Compare snowpack evolution from simulations using HICAR downscaled input at 50m, 100m, and 250m resolutions.
• Analyze the impact of wind- and gravity-induced snow redistribution (FSM2trans extension) on simulated snow depth.
• Validate the FSM2oshd model's performance in the Dischma region using the provided simulation output time series.
• Assess differences in snowpack dynamics driven by dynamical (HICAR) versus semi-statistical (COSD) downscaling approaches.

Strengths

• Simulations cover three high spatial resolutions: 50m, 100m, and 250m.
• Includes model extension for wind- and gravity-induced snow redistribution (FSM2trans).
• Data is focused on a well-defined domain of complex terrain in the Swiss Alps (Dischma).

Limitations

• Specific row count, file size, and temporal coverage of the simulations are unknown.
• The dataset's scope is geographically limited to a single alpine research basin.
• The availability and description of specific output variables (columns) are not provided.

Provenance

Source

ENVIDAT

Collection Method

Output from snowpack simulations run with the Flexible Snow Model (FSM2oshd/FSM2trans), using downscaled atmospheric forcing from HICAR and COSD models.

Freshness

Last updated in 2024.

Geography

Dischma region, Swiss Alps.