Snowmelt runoff pattern emerges

The hydrograph above shows that the typical snowmelt pattern - daily fluctuations like a sine wave - become clear from about 14 April. This is because of rising temperatures and continuing fine weather.

Discharge measurement was undertaken with stage rising from 0.615m to 0.645m as daytime melt started to kick in around noon. We also collected data from a temperature sensor set in a cedar tree at 200m elevation. This will be compared to temperatures measured at the local climatological station near sea-level (Murakami Amedas).

Snowmelt on hold

A cold April so far, with fresh snowfall events even down at sea-level elevations. Today was only about 5 degrees Celsius, and turning to rain in the afternoon or snow in the mountains. The stage hydrograph barely shows the diurnal snowmelt pattern which is typical during fine weather in this season. Snowpack remains in some shady spots near the gauging station (see photo above), while the cedar lysimeter had melted off (see photo below).