Cold Regions Workshop November 16-19,2004 NWS Training Center Kansas City, MO

Workshop Agenda

Workshop Notes


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Monday November 15

Travel Day


Tuesday November 16


Morning Ice Cover Hydraulics
Note Taker: Brad Temeyer
8:00 - 8:30 am Registration
8:30 - 8:50 am Welcome / Background / Logistics / etc Larry Rundquist - NWS AR
8:50 - 9:10 am Status of Action ItemsPlay/Download Larry Rundquist - NWS AR
9:10 - 9:25 am Overview of IssuesPlay/Download Larry Rundquist - NWS AR
9:25 - 9:45 am Break(up)
9:45 - 10:45 am Ice Formation and Ice Cover HydraulicsPlay/Download Dr. Steven Daly - CRREL
10:45 - 11:10 am Measuring Water Velocity and Streamflow in Open Water and Under IcePlay/Download John Fulton - USGS
11:10 - 11:30 am Everything You Wanted to Know About Stage, but were Afraid to AskPlay/Download Presented by John Fulton for Steve Robinson - USGS
11:30 am - 1:00 pm Lunch
Afternoon Ice Jams
Note Taker: Rob Shedd
1:00 - 2:00 pm Ice Jam Formation and ReleasePlay/Download Dr. Steven Daly - CRREL
2:00 - 2:45 pm River Ice Jam Flood Forecasting ResearchView PDF Dr. Faye Hicks - University of Alberta
2:45 - 3:15 pm Break(up)
3:15 - 4:00 pm Application of Fuzzy-Logic to River Ice Jam Flood ForecastingView PDF Chandra Mahabir - University of Alberta
4:00 - 4:15 pm Remote Sensing of Ice CoverPlay/Download Larry Rundquist - APRFC
4:15 - 4:40 pm Reduction of Streamflow from Upstream Ice Formation Play/Download Brian Connelly - NCRFC
4:40 - 5:00 pm Tuesday Wrapup / Action Items Larry Rundquist - NWS AR

Wednesday November 17


Morning Ice Cover Hydraulics/Ice Jams
Note Taker: Paula Cognitore
8:00 - 8:15 am Overview of IssuesPlay/Download Larry Rundquist - NWS AR
8:15 - 8:30 am Collection of River Ice Spotter DataPlay/Download Robert Shedd - NERFC
8:30 - 9:00 am Development of Empirical Threshold Models for Ice Jam ForecastingPlay/Download Dr. Steven Daly - CRREL
9:00 - 9:20 am Status of Incorporating Ice into NWS Hydraulic ModelsPlay/Download Janice Sylvestre - NWS HL
9:20 - 9:30 am Selection of Breakout Session Topics Larry Rundquist - NWS AR
9:30 - 9:50 am Break(up)
9:50 - 10:00 am Travel Weather Briefing Jim Keeney - NWS CR
9:50 - 11:00 am Breakout Sessions
11:00 - 11:20 am Breakout Session Reports Team Leaders
11:30 am - 1:00 pm Lunch
Afternoon Snow Data
Note Taker: Ray Fukunaga
1:00 - 1:20 pm Overview of IssuesPlay/Download Larry Rundquist - NWS AR
1:20 - 2:20 pm Snow Course, SNOTEL, and SCANPlay/Download Tony Tolsdorf - NRCS
2:20 - 2:40 pm A Simple and Inexpensive Method to Measure Snow Water EquivalentPlay/Download James LaRosa - WFO Marquette MI
Andrea Holz - NCRFC
2:40 - 3:00 pm Automated Snow Sensor ExperimentPlay/Download Mark Walton - WFO Grand Rapids MI
3:00 - 3:20 pm Break(up)
3:20 - 3:50 pm National Snow Analysis and SNODAS Snow ModelingPlay/Download Don Cline - NOHRSC
3:50 - 4:30 pm Snow Data Issues and NSA and Model AssimilationPlay/Download Carrie Olheiser - NOHRSC
4:30 - 5:00 pm Wednesday Wrapup / Action Items Larry Rundquist - NWS AR

Thursday November 18


Morning Snow Melt Forecasting
Note Taker: Sherrie Hebert
8:00 - 8:15 am Overview of IssuesPlay/Download Larry Rundquist - NWS AR
8:15 - 9:00 am NWSRFS Snow ModelingPlay/Download Andrea Holz - NCRFC
9:00 - 9:20 am Use of ESP for Snow ParametersPlay/Download Larry Rundquist - APRFC
9:20 - 9:40 am Use of Meteorological Model Temperatures in NWSRFSPlay/Download Larry Rundquist - APRFC
9:40 - 10:00 am Break(up)
10:00 - 10:15 am Use of Snow Depth Observations in NWSRFSPlay/Download Presented by Janice Sylvestre for Mike Smith - NWS HL
10:15 - 10:45 am 1D Validation of SNODAS Model PhysicsPlay/Download Don Cline - NOHRSC
10:45 - 11:15 am SNODAS Verification - The RFC PerspectivePlay/Download Robert Shedd - NERFC
11:15 - 11:30 am Potential Benefit of NOHRSC SNODAS Snow Water Equivalent to RFC ForecastsPlay/Download Tom Carroll - NOHRSC
11:30 am - 1:00 pm Lunch
Afternoon Snow Data / Melt Forecasting
Note Taker: Thomas Hawley
1:00 - 1:20 pm Snowfall Analysis at FGF using Snoopy and ArcGISPlay/Download Mike Lukes - WFO Grand Forks ND
1:20 - 1:40 pm Snow Modeling R&D: Hydrology Lab PerspectivesPlay/Download Janice Sylvestre for Mike Smith - NWS HL
1:40 - 2:20 pm Group Discussion of R&D Approach
2:20 - 2:30 pm Selection of Breakout Session Topics Larry Rundquist - NWS AR
2:30 - 2:50 pm Break(up)
2:50 - 4:10 pm Breakout Sessions
4:10 - 4:40 pm Breakout Session Reports Team Leaders
4:40 - 5:00 pm Thursday Wrapup / Action Items Larry Rundquist - NWS AR

Friday November 19


Morning Frozen Ground Modeling
Note Taker: Scott Dummer
8:00 - 8:15 am Overview of IssuesPlay/Download Larry Rundquist - NWS AR
8:15 - 8:40 am The Use of NWS Frost Depth Gauges to Acquire Frost Depth Information in WisconsinPlay/Download Brian Hahn - WFO Milwaukee WI
Reference Flood Forecasting & Frost Depth (article with frost depth gauge specs)Download Mark Walton - WFO Grand Rapids, MI
8:40 - 9:00 am Frozen Ground ModelPlay/Download Brain Connelly - NCRFC
9:00 - 9:20 am Discussion of Frozen Ground Modeling
9:20 - 9:30 am Session Wrapup / Action Items Larry Rundquist - NWS AR
9:30 - 9:40 am Travel Weather Briefing Jim Keeney - NWS CR
9:40 - 10:00 am Break(up)
10:00 - 11:00 am Workshop Wrap Up / Final Action Items Larry Rundquist - NWS AR
11:00 am Adjourn
Afternoon Travel


Ice-Related IssuesPlay/Download
  • Interpretation of stage data during freezeup and ice cover
  • Lack of data on ice cover and ice characteristics
  • Ice thickness observation network development/safety issues
  • Forecasting increased stage and/or decreased flow during freezeup
  • Forecast stage verification during freezeup
  • The effects of ice on the interaction of surface and groundwater
  • Modeling of ice thickness growth and decay
  • Forecasting occurrence, timing, and severity of ice jams

Snow Data and Snowmelt IssuesPlay/Download
  • How to maximize SWE data available to forecasters
  • Collection of accurate SWE data
  • Use of wind shields on NWS precipitation gauges
  • MAT computational scheme in NWSRFS
  • Lack of high elevation temperature data
  • Forecasting diurnal fluctuation in flow/stage
  • Use of snow depth observations in NWSRFS
  • Use of SNODAS information in NWSRFS
  • Use of SNODAS output as a snowmelt hazard alert tool
  • Limitations of SNOW-17 to account for variability in energy balance
  • IFP displays of more snow parameters
  • Lack of national guidelines on minimum and optimum data requirements

Frozen Ground IssuesPlay/Download
  • Lack of information on distribution and characteristics of frozen ground
  • Impact of frozen ground on runoff characteristics
  • Use of frozen ground data and techniques in NWSRFS

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