Weston Roundtable – How Much Snow Falls in the Upper Colorado River and How Well Do We Know That Number?

Speaker: Lejo Flores, Professor of Geosciences, Boise State University

In the western U.S., seasonal snowpacks are critically important natural reservoirs of water that are declining due to climate warming. Regional climate models are important tools for alpine hydrological research but require careful configuration to appropriately represent key processes in the land-atmosphere system.

Cloud microphysics schemes simulate hydrometeor evolution and control predictions of precipitation, radiation, and therefore attributes of snowpack accumulation and melt. Flores will present research evaluating how the choice of cloud microphysics scheme influences predictions of mountain snowpack evolution and report on implications for hydrologic and atmospheric research.

The Weston Roundtable is made possible by a generous donation from Roy F. Weston, a highly accomplished UW-Madison alumnus. Designed to promote a robust understanding of sustainability science, engineering, and policy, these interactive lectures are co-sponsored by the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Office of Sustainability.

Date

May 1, 2025    

Time

4:15 pm – 5:15 pm

Location

1163 Mechanical Engineering
1513 University Avenue, Madison

Category