4DM is awarded funding support from the National Research Council – IRAP to utilize numerical weather prediction data for forecasting snow drifting events and applications in water resources

4DM is awarded financial support from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) to utilize numerical weather prediction data for forecasting snow drifting events and applications in water resources 4DM has developed a snow transport model for predicting snow drifting along transportation corridors. The model was developed from knowledge gained from ongoing consulting work and a previous IRAP supported project. The snow transport model requires meteorological inputs such as wind, temperature, and precipitation. The model produces a gridded distribution of snow depth and flux in tonnes/meter. Meteorological inputs can come from global weather services that provide access to numerical weather prediction and regional reanalysis data. These organizations use an internationally recognized generic format called GRIB developed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The goal of this project is to develop a streamlined process that utilizes GRIB data for estimating regional snow drifting along transportation networks such as roads, rail lines and airport areas, from both a predictive and historical perspective. The same process can be used as input into hydrological model to predict flooding events.