Snow Load Calculations for Alaska Using GHCN Data (1950–2017)
Publication: Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
Volume 34, Issue 3
Abstract
This paper presents the results of snow load calculations in Alaska based on measurements of snow depth and snow water equivalent from 1950 to 2017 acquired from the Global Historical Climate Network (GHCN). After cleaning and validation of data, snow depth and snow water equivalent values were analyzed to find the best statistical distribution using several numerical criteria and visual assessment of the best fit. The best-fit distributions were then compared with the lognormal distribution and used to calculate the 50-year mean recurrence intervals. The relationships between snow depth and snow water equivalent were analyzed. Regression models were built for both the best-fit and lognormal distributions. Finally, these regression equations were used to estimate snow water equivalent for stations where only snow depth was recorded.
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Acknowledgments
The study was partially supported by the ConocoPhillips Arctic Science and Engineering Foundation, UAA, and the Structural Engineers Association of Alaska (SEAAK).
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Published In
Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
Volume 34 • Issue 3 • September 2020
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 19, 2018
Accepted: Jan 13, 2020
Published online: Apr 17, 2020
Published in print: Sep 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Sep 17, 2020
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