State.
The State feature from the CRHM pull down menu allows the final state of a model run to be saved. This final state can then be used as the initial state of a sequential model run.
A good example of the value of this feature is if snowmelt is being examined using different parameters. Instead of always having to run the model from the previous fall every time the model is executed, save the final State of the fall to March run. Then the model need only be Run from April to the end of melt using the final State of the earlier Run as the initial State for the April Run.
Notes.
When an intial state file is used the state values are loaded into the CHRM model variables after the Module::init routines have been executed but before the Module::run rountines are executed for the first time in the model run. This ensures that variables set by decisions made at earlier times are maintained and are not dependent upon the Module::init routines handling past events correctly.
The State of the model is assumed to be described fully by the model state variables.
Saving the final state of a model run to a file happens only once, i.e. after the final state is saved to the specified file, the file name must be re-entered before it will be written to again. When the file to save the final state is specified, it is not displayed anywhere. On the other hand the initial state file name is remembered and displayed in the State pull-down menu and used every model run until cancelled by clicking on the file name.