2D Snowdrift Modeling and Validation

One of the objectives of the Centre d’Etudes de la Neige (Snow Study Centre of MeteoFrance) is to improve the modeling of snow cover evolution and avalanche risk forecasting. A numerical simulation of snow transport, related mechanical effects and snow distribution has been developed over the last years. The objective is to incorporate the wind effects in the Meteo-France operational chain Safran-Crocus-Mepra (SCM) for avalanche risk forecasting. At present, an evaluation version of the model is applied to a well instrumented site (Col du Lac Blanc 2700m, French Alps) in order to assess its performance and to validate its applicability. At this place, in addition to automatic weather stations, several specific snowdrift sensors and a range of snow poles, a novel remote sensing technique based on land-based photography is being applied. This paper describes the current state of snowdrift modeling and the new technique of result validation.