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Measuring Snow from Space

Measuring Snow from Space

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Started by Admin in Ski Chatter

Measuring Snow from Space

Admin posted Feb-2012

Interesting article about measuring (and eventually forecasting) snow from space on WattsUpWithThat :-

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/02/01/what-we-dont-know-about-snow/

Predicting the future is always a tricky business — just watch a TV weather report. Weather forecasts have come a long way, but almost every season there's a snowstorm that seems to come out of nowhere, or one that's forecast as 'the big one' that turns out to be a total bust.

In the last ten years, scientists have shown that it is possible to detect falling snow and measure surface snowpack information from the vantage point of space. But there remains much that is unknown about the fluffy white stuff.


Here's a cool picture of falling snowflakes...


Image courtesy of NASA

...and a completely gratuitous picture of a cool satellite that's all shiny and everything...


Image courtesy of NASA

More about NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement mission can be found here.

...thinking ahead, I'm quite liking the idea of a global network of snow measuring satellites. Maybe we could call it J2SkyNet? I could go skiing more often if it was autonomous and, er, self-aware? :twisted:
The Admin Man