Émilie Poirier
MSc student, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Centre ESCER, Université du Québec à Montréal (supervisor: Julie Thériault)
Thesis topic: A study of rain-snow transitions in the Kananaskis region
Rain-snow transitions along mountainsides are the region bound by snow at higher elevations and rain at lower
elevations. The width and precipitation types distribution depend strongly on the weather conditions such as
temperature, wind field and relative humidity. The goal of this project is to study the microphysical processes and the
associated dynamical feedbacks in the vicinity of a rain-snow boundary observed in the Kananaskis valley.
Numerical simulations will be used to study the thermodynamic and dynamical feedbacks in the vicinity of a rainsnow
boundary. Measurements and observations collected during the Alberta Field Project in the Kananaskis Valley
in March-April 2015 will be used to validate the model results. Overall, this study will contribute to a better
understanding of the occurrence and characteristics of rain-snow transitions on the lee-side of the Canadian Rockies
(Alberta).