6. One paragraph description of your model (e.g. abstract from report or
   paper);

Accumulation of snow is derived from explicitly predicted fallout 
of snow and graupel from atmospheric model. Surface energy balance 
derived by considering a layer that spans the lowest few meters of 
the atmosphere and the top half of the snow layer; if the temperature 
of this layer is computed to be warmer than 0C, the excess heat is 
used to melt snow.  For other details, see answers to questions below.

50. Please provide references relevant to the model description and use.

General description of MAPS/RUC and soil model can be found in:

Benjamin, S.G., J.M. Brown, K.J. Brundage, D. Devenyi, D. Kim, 
B.E. Schwartz, T.G. Smirnova, T.L. Smith, and A. Marroquin, 1997: 
Improvements in aviation forecasts from the 40-km RUC. Preprints, 
7th Conference on Aviation, Range, and Aerospace Meteorology, Long 
Beach, February, 411-416. 

Smirnova, T. G., J. M. Brown, and S. G. Benjamin, 1997: Performance 
of different soil model configurations in simulating ground surface
temperature and surface fluxes. Mon. Wea. Rev., 125, 216-261.