We applied a Version of the Regional Hydro-Ecologic Simulation System (RHES
Sys) that implements snow redistribution, elevation partitioning, and wind-
driven sublimation to Loch Vale Watershed (LVWS), an alpine-subalpine Rocky
Mountain catchment where snow accumulation and ablation dominate the hydro
logic cycle. We compared simulated discharge to measured discharge and the
simulated snow distribution to photogrammetrically rectified aerial (remote
ly sensed) images. Snow redistribution was governed by a topographic simila
rity index. We subdivided each hillslope into elevation bands that had homo
geneous climate extrapolated from observed climate. We created a distribute
d wind speed field that was used in conjunction with daily measured wind sp
eeds to estimate sublimation. Modeling snow redistribution was critical to
estimating the timing and magnitude of discharge. Incorporating elevation p
artitioning improved estimated timing of discharge but did not improve patt
erns of snow cover since wind was the dominant controller of areal snow pat
terns. Simulating wind-driven sublimation was necessary to predict moisture
losses.