Snow plays an important role in the water balance since the input of melted snow during spring seasons contributes an important fraction of total runoff in snow-dominated watersheds. Water managers require accurate and precise estimates of snowpack to estimate runoff from snow dominant watersheds.

The objective was to analyze the representation of snow in the WRF-Hydro Model and one of its embedded land surface models (LSM), Noah-MP. The goals were to: 1) Test various forcing datasets for an idealized, single-column representation of Noah-MP. Datasets tested will likely include the NLDAS (used currently for retrospective NWM simulations), the AORC (developed by NOAA specifically for NWM forcing), and a ‘perfect’ forcing dataset from the CREST-Snow Analysis and Field Experiment. Comparison of the snow-specific performance of Noah-MP with these different forcing datasets will provide insight into physical reasons underlying model deficiencies. 2) Perform sensitivity analysis of snow parameters in the Noah-MP LSM. These sensitivity experiments will first be conducted for the idealized, single-column version of Noah-MP, and then, if time permits, for a cutout of the NWM-configured WRF-Hydro across the Aroostook River watershed in Caribou, Maine. For the latter, WRF-Hydro Model streamflow will be compared with the USGS streamflow for the selected watershed, and Noah-MP snow will be compared with selected satellite snow data products.