Simulations of seasonal snow for the south Island, New Zealand

Seasonal snow simulations are produced for the South Island of New Zealand using a relatively simple temperature-index snow model. Results show that the snow simulations are broadly consistent with the observed snow climatology, especially with respect to estimates of snow volume and snow duration. For the parameter sets tested, snow simulations were more realistic for those for which there is strong seasonal variability in melt and where the temperature threshold for snow accumulation is set to 1°C. However, we find strong interactions among the different parameters in the snow model that cannot be resolved with the available snow data. In the short-term, detailed basin-specific studies are necessary to refine model parameter values.