A northern snowmelt‐flood frequency model

A rainfall‐flood frequency model is examined and converted to a snowmelt‐flood frequency model for use in northern subarctic regions. The model is applied to the Chena River at Fairbanks, an interior Alaskan basin, with emphasis on evaluation of the model for use on watersheds with few or no previous discharge records. The evaluation includes examination of the theoretical development and assumptions of the original model, adaptation of the original model to a snowmelt‐flood frequency model, sensitivity analysis, and comparison with results from other techniques and the observed frequency series. While the model suffers from certain inconsistencies, it does seem to be a useful tool for flood frequency design for subarctic watersheds with sparse data records.