Model:SNOWPACK

SNOWPACK

Also known as
Model type	Single
Model part of larger framework
Note on status model
Date note status model

Incorporated models or components:

Spatial dimensions	1D
Spatial extent	Point-Based
Model domain	Terrestrial, Cryosphere
One-line model description	SNOWPACK is a multi-purpose snow and land-surface model, which focuses on a detailed description of the mass and energy exchange between the snow, the atmosphere and optionally with the vegetation cover and the soil. It also includes a detailed treatment of mass and energy fluxes within these media.
Extended model description	SNOWPACK solves numerically the partial differential equations governing the mass, energy and momentum conservation within the snowpack using the finite-element method. The numerical model has been constructed to handle the special problems of avalanche warning.

Keywords:	snow,

Name	Michael Lehning
Type of contact	Technical contact
Institute / Organization	Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, SLF
Postal address 1
Postal address 2
Town / City	Davos Dorf
Postal code	CH-7260
State
Country	Switzerland
Email address	lehning@slf.ch
Phone
Fax

Name	Mathias Bavay
Type of contact	Model developer
Institute / Organization	Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, SLF
Postal address 1
Postal address 2
Town / City	Davos Dorf
Postal code	CH-7260
State
Country	Switzerland
Email address	bavay@slf.ch
Phone
Fax

Supported platforms	Unix, Linux, Mac OS, Windows
Other platform
Programming language	C++, IDL
Other program language
Code optimized	Single Processor
Multiple processors implemented
Nr of distributed processors
Nr of shared processors
Start year development	1999
Does model development still take place?	Yes
If above answer is no, provide end year model development
Code development status	Active
When did you indicate the 'code development status'?	2024
Model availability	As code
Source code availability (Or provide future intension)	Through web repository
Source web address	https://snowpack.slf.ch
Source csdms web address
Program license type	LGPL
Program license type other
Memory requirements	--
Typical run time	30s for one year at one point, at most 180s with the most complex liquid water transport model.

Describe input parameters	It requires the following meteorological parameters: air temperature (TA) relative humidity (RH) wind speed (VW) incoming short wave radiation (ISWR) and/or reflected short wave radiation (RSWR) incoming long wave radiation (ILWR) and/or surface temperature (TSS) precipitation (PSUM) and/or snow height (HS) ground temperature (TSG, if available. Otherwise, you will have to use MeteoIO's data generators to generate a value) or geothermal heat flux snow temperatures at various depths (TS1, TS2, etc if available and only for comparisons, see section Snow and/or soil temperatures)
Input format	ASCII
Other input format	SMET: https://code.wsl.ch/snow-models/meteoio/-/package_files/433/download NetCDF iCSV: https://code.wsl.ch/EnviDat/icsv/-/tree/master
Describe output parameters	Snowpack creates various output files: the current state of its soil and snow layers in ".sno" files; the current state of its hazard relevant data in ".haz" files; a time serie of snow profiles; a time serie of the meteorological data and fluxes as used in the model.
Output format	ASCII
Other output format
Pre-processing software needed?	No
Describe pre-processing software
Post-processing software needed?	No
Describe post-processing software
Visualization software needed?	Yes
If above answer is yes
Other visualization software	The niViz tool, online at https://run.niviz.org

Describe processes represented by the model
Describe key physical parameters and equations
Describe length scale and resolution constraints
Describe time scale and resolution constraints
Describe any numerical limitations and issues

Describe available calibration data sets
Upload calibration data sets if available:
Describe available test data sets
Upload test data sets if available:
Describe ideal data for testing

Do you have current or future plans for collaborating with other researchers?

Is there a manual available?	Yes
Upload manual if available:
Model website if any	https://snowpack.slf.ch
Model forum / discussion board

Comments

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Can be coupled with:

Model info

Authors

Michael Lehning

Bavay

Source code

Model citations

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Featured reference(s)	Open Access Status	Year	Type of Reference	Cited
Lehning, Michael; Bartelt, Perry; Brown, Bob; Fierz, Charles; Satyawali, Pramod; 2002. A physical SNOWPACK model for the Swiss avalanche warning. Cold Regions Science and Technology, 35147–167. 10.1016/S0165-232X(02)00073-3	· submittedVersion	2002	a module overview describing a module	617
Lehning, Michael; Bartelt, Perry; Brown, Bob; Russi, Tom; Stöckli, Urs; Zimmerli, Martin; 1999. snowpack model calculations for avalanche warning based upon a new network of weather and snow stations. Cold Regions Science and Technology, 30145–157. 10.1016/S0165-232X(99)00022-1	· submittedVersion	1999	a module overview describing a module	337