Wind-blown Snow as a Water Resource
Basics of Blizzards and Snowdrift Control
Snow Transport
How much water forms the snowdrift behind a snow fence that trapped all the
snow drifting off a fetch in a winter? Let's figure this out for each foot
(or meter) of snow fence length (across the wind). Starting with the total
winter's snowfall on the fetch, part is held by vegetation and blizzards sweep
off the rest. Some of what blows evaporates, and what finally arrives at the
fence we call snow transport. Usually we want the number for an average
winter. This diagram shows the concept (after Tabler, 1975).
Fetch may be greater or less than the transport distance, in which an
average-sized blizzard particle evaporates completely. In Wyoming (and in
other regions), our studies show that transport distance is about 10,000 ft
(3000 m). We estimate what evaporates by the ratio of fetch to transport
distance.
To Blizzard Basics