Field Measurements and Predictions of Snow Distribution around Horizontal-Slat Snow Fences

The present study investigates snow growth and equilibrium drift for horizontal slatted snow fences with varying porosities in the field measurements in Xinjiang, China. A mathematical model is proposed to describe the profile of the equilibrium drift. Equations are derived to model the drift length and snow storage capacity for snow fences with different porosities. The results reveal that the snow accumulation around horizontal-slat snow fences can be categorized into five stages. The final snow shapes strongly depended on X/H (distance versus the height of the fence). The snow drift length and amount of snow accumulation on the leeward side can be described by functions of porosity, P. It is noteworthy that the snow storage capacity of the high-porosity fence significantly surpasses that of the low-porosity snow fences. For regions with moderate snowfall, the horizontal-slat snow fence with a porosity of 50% is recommended, whereas regions with heavy snowfall would benefit from a 60%-porosity fence.