Pfohl et al. (2026) Investigating the Effects of Spatial Snow Water Equivalent Heterogeneity on Runoff Timing and Magnitude

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Identification

• Journal: Hydrological Processes
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-01
• Authors: Anna K. D. Pfohl, William Ryan Currier, Elijah N. Boardman, Justin Matthew Pflug, Mimi Hughes
• DOI: 10.1002/hyp.70659

Research Groups

• University of California, Berkeley, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering

Short Summary

This study investigates the impact of spatial snow heterogeneity on streamflow timing and magnitude in two mountainous watersheds. The results suggest that capturing spatial heterogeneity in snow water equivalent (SWE) may not be necessary for water supply forecasting on quasi-annual timescales but is important for simulating late summer flows, snow cover persistence, and peak flow magnitude.

Objective

• Investigate the effects of spatial snow heterogeneity on streamflow timing and magnitude in mountainous watersheds

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Watershed scale (Tuolumne River, California, and Blue River, Colorado)
• Temporal Scale: Quasi-annual timescales (water year)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM)
• Data sources: Lidar-derived snow water equivalent (SWE) data

Main Results

• Simulated peak streamflow from homogeneous snowpack representation was 36% greater than more heterogeneous simulations in the Tuolumne River watershed
• Streamflow during late summer was higher (up to 3.5 times) for finer-resolution snow heterogeneity simulations
• Sensitivity to snowpack heterogeneity was less pronounced in the Blue River watershed due to differences in spatial snowpack patterning and subsurface processes

Contributions

• This study provides new insights into the importance of capturing spatial heterogeneity in SWE for simulating late summer flows, snow cover persistence, and peak flow magnitude
• The results suggest that if basin-mean SWE is well constrained, capturing spatial heterogeneity in SWE may not be necessary for water supply forecasting on quasi-annual timescales

Funding

• This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (Award Number: [insert award number])

Citation

@article{Pfohl2026Investigating,
  author = {Pfohl, Anna K. D. and Currier, William Ryan and Boardman, Elijah N. and Pflug, Justin Matthew and Hughes, Mimi},
  title = {Investigating the Effects of Spatial Snow Water Equivalent Heterogeneity on Runoff Timing and Magnitude},
  journal = {Hydrological Processes},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1002/hyp.70659},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70659}
}