Scientists in New England Will Ramp Up Snowpack Monitoring This Winter

After last season’s heavy snowfall across New England, scientists are preparing for new ways to collect data and measure snow in real time this upcoming winter. A team of researchers in Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire will set up automatic sensors at different elevations to help monitor, track, and make predictions involving the snow to help better understand the changing climate.

The group of researchers from universities across the region received a $5.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop the region’s first-ever comprehensive snowpack monitoring system. Then, this upcoming winter, Elizabeth Burakoswki, a snow scientist who will lead the group’s work in New Hampshire, and her team around New England, will set up the devices on mountaintops, at mid-mountain elevations, and in valleys. Researchers believe that going forward, more real time date is necessary in order for industries like skiing to adapt to the changes that are already being seen.

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The region has been facing new weather challenges over the years, especially during the winter months. Flash flooding from extreme rain-on-snow events and periods of drought are the two main growing concerns that directly affect both the ski industry and the surrounding communities.

Keith Jennings, an advanced hydrologist and water resources scientist, will be leading the team from the University of Vermont. According to the Vermont Public, he is especially looking forward to one new tool in particular. The “snow pillow” is a scale that specifically measures the density of the snow that falls on it. While this device is already common out west, the technology, which will ultimately help scientists understand how much water is in the snow and how much can be expected to be released once it melts, is brand new to New England. The data received from this device will help provide researchers and scientists with easier, more accurate information regarding the potential for flooding or droughts.

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It’s currently an extreme challenge for hydrologists to forecast when and where flooding may occur when heavy rain falls on existing snow. However, as this region continues to experience more extreme weather events, scientists hope these new tools will help them gain insight before the events actually happen, to properly inform and prepare the public. These New England-based groups will be working in partnership with the National Weather Service and Northeast River Forecast Center to share this new data. And as for the incoming super El Niño, the addition of these weather stations could help track any correlation between precipitation and accumulation throughout the region.