Temperature is the intensity of heat present in the air and is vital for computing the physical processes that govern how water moves through the water cycle, particularly when transitioning between phases and serves as a critical driver for several physical processes. Within HEC-HMS, temperature serves as a critical driver for several physical processes including evapotranspiration, shortwave and longwave radiation, and snowmelt and accumulation.
When configuring the Meteorologic Model, HEC-HMS offers several methods to define temperature: