A Coupled Model to Simulate Snow Behavior on Roads

Abstract

To develop a decision-making tool for road management in winter, a numerical model resulting from the coupling of a soil model and a snow model was developed and validated using experimental results from a comprehensive experimental field campaign during three winters (1997/98, 1998/99, and 1999/2000). The coupling of the models has been done through an implicit calculation of the conduction flux between snow and road. An equivalent thermal resistance has been used to take into account the different road?snow interface configurations. For this purpose, a parameterization of water-saturated snow was introduced. This model permits the simulation of the snow behavior on a road, and it takes into account different interfacial configurations according to snow and road types and the snowpack evolution (freezing, melting, grain type). Comparisons of experimental and simulated results for typical snowfall events or over the entire winter showed that the model was able to simulate road surface temperature, snow occurrence on the road, and snow-layer evolution with good accuracy.