Albedo of Intercepted Snow

Abstract

Incident and reflected shortwave radiation above a red pine plantation was measured at 30‐minute intervals for two days after a 12‐inch snowfall. Maximum albedo was less than 20% of incident radiation, markedly lower than the 70–90% observed for fresh snow on the ground and commonly assumed to apply to intercepted snow. Thus, energy available for evaporation of intercepted snow may be 4 times greater than previously supposed. As intercepted snow ripened, albedo decreased and eventually approached summertime values once the snow left the upper part of the canopy.