Rime Contributes to Water Balance in High-Elevation Aspen Forests

Howard L. Gary

Abstract

Rime buildup on aspen crowns during the passage of selected winter storms and the amount of rime falling to the snow surface following these storms were studied during three winters in northern New Mexico. For the storms studied, the estimated water equivalent of rime caught on crowns of 50- to 60-foot tall trees on an acre basis ranged from 1.8 to 9.5 mm in depth. Water equivalent of rime subsequently falling to the snow surface for the same storms ranged from 0.6 to 4.2 mm depth per acre.