Author: Michael A. Bilello

Publisher:

Published: 1978

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13:

This study investigates the possibility of providing estimates of the time of occurrence and length of the freezing season for any location in East and West Germany by using the average Januavy air temperature (AJAT) as an index. The results indicate that reliable values of the mean freezing index can be obtained from the AJAT relationships which are developed for Germany. This association is further verified using data from the northeastern part of the U.S., and the AJAT is then used to determine the average starting and ending dates (and hence the probable length) of the freezing season for stations in Germany. The AJAT and the average dates of snowfall occurrence for numerous locations in the U.S. and Germany are also correlated. Interrelationships between these parameters and the average number of days with snow on the ground for stations up to 3000 m in elevation in Germany are examined. A detailed AJAT map for East and West Germany, in which data from 134 stations, latitude, altitude and regional influences are considered, is developed in order to make the relationships usable. A historical review of the literature on snow studies in Germany and a brief discussion of snow-cover interpretation by satellite photography are included. (Author).