OCR Text |
Show In some áreas where snow studies are being carried on, achieving a representative área for collecting and recording snowfall data is extremely difficult. The difficulty arises when the data are collected at or above timberline where high winds cause heavy drifting during snowfall periods. The Berthoud Pass Snow Study área is one of these difficult áreas. For the past several years snowfall records have been collected in what is known as the Q- 12 Park. This área is in a thinly timbered zone and appears to be the most representative site that can be found within an accessible distance and at the elevation desired. This área is known to be a nominal wind action área due to a thin timber stand. The travei distance amounts to about ) è mile each way. Quite often data are not collected on time or are neglected throughout a night- time storm period, and it is difficult to maintain automatic instrumentation in proper working order. An attempt therefore was made to construct a nominal wind action área near the quarters used by the observers. See photos. A somewhat circular design was selected. Posts about 20' long were set 31 in the ground and spaced 6* apart. Standard snow fencing was then installed on the posts. The lowest fence was installed leaving a 6* gap between the ground and the bottom edge of the fence. It was thought that perhaps this gap would induce scouring under the fence and data collection table so that shoveling out would be kept to a minimum. As was expected, shoveling was not necessary, but next year |