Measuring Snow Properties:

Albedo, Depth, Density, and

Temperature

Elizabeth Burakowski, UNH

elizabeth.burakowski@gmail.com

September 2012

Equipment

Scraper or Spatula

Field Notebook

Pyranometer onleveling boom

YardstickDigital Hanging Scale

2-ft and 4-ft snowtubes with caps

IR Temperature Gun

Where to Measure

• In an level open area, with minimal shadingfrom trees, houses, fences, etc.

• Undisturbed snow pack (no footprints, pet waste, etc)

• Point leveling boom at sun (south) to reduce shadowing

• If snowpack is thin or patchy, pick an area that is most representative of overall snow conditions.

• Measurement areaisabout 1 m2

When to Measure

• Collect daily snow-coveredand snow-free

measurements frombeginning of

November until end of snow season.

• Try not to miss measurements on clear sky

days. These days are most important for

satellite validation.

• Begin daily data collection 1 hour of

Local Solar Noon:

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/grad/solca

lc/.

What to Measure

1. Albedo

2. Snow Depth

3. Snow Density

4. Snow Temperature

How To Measure Albedo

1. Identify area to measure and approach from north (do

not trample your sampling area).

2. Point leveling boom south with pyranometer facing

upward, use bubble at hip to level. Record UP1.

3. Flip boom and level at hip with MP-200 facing

downward. Record DOWN1.

4. Repeat steps 3 & 4 two more times, for total of three up

& down paired measurements.

5. Turn off pyranometer and replace green cap. Record

other values (e.g., cloud and snow conditions)

How To Measure Albedo

Please remember to record the following at

the time of albedo measurement:

Start Time (HH:MM) and End Time (HH:MM)

Cloud Cover:

OVC- overcast

PCL – partly cloudy

CLR – clear

ACLR – all clear or blue bird. 0% cloud cover.

Snowmelt: Yes or no.

Snowing: Yes or no.

Snowfall in past 24 hours: Yes or No.

Comments: passing clouds or haze, grass or vegetation showing,

debris on snow, raining.

How To Measure Albedo

1. Power button

2. Meter read-out (in

Watts/m2

3. No need to use

these buttons.

Sensor will display

values instantly.

2

3

Batteries for Pyranometer

The Apogee MP-200 takes one Renata

Lithium CR2320 battery. One battery

should last you the whole winter.

If necessary, we will send you a

replacement battery.

How to Measure

Surface Temperature

1. Make sure the IR gun is set to

measure in oF by pressing

the scale selector button

2. Point the IR temperature

gun vertically about 3 inches

above the surface.

3. Press the measure button for

5 seconds and record the

temperature displayed on

the screen.

4. Hold the gun steady and

level for best results. If the

temperature changes, pick

the average number of the

displayed values.

How to Measure Snow Depth

1. Place the snow tube (2-ft or 4-ft) vertically into

the snow pack, making sure the hanging hole is

at the top end of the tube.

2. Scrape snow off the side of the tube and

measure snow depth to ground, rounding to

nearest 0.5”. If you are unable to reach the

ground surface (i.e., ice layer at bottom of tube),

record the snow depth collected in the tube

and note approximate thickness of ice not

collected in tube.

How to Measure Snow Density

1. Place spatula under bottom of tube, lift way from

the snowpack and carefully secure cap on

bottom of tube. Bring the tube indoors to weigh

(scale does not work well in cold weather).

2. Hang the scale from a sturdy hook. Turn on the

scale and watch for 0.000 lb to appear. (Hit

MODE button to switch from kg to lb).

3. Hang tube on metal scale hook, using hole at

the top of the tube. Measure to nearest

hundredth (0.00). Record the total weight (tube,

caps and snow!) in lab notebook.

Data Entry

www.cocorahs-albedo.org

Data Entry

www.cocorahs-albedo.org

Data Entry

HH:MM (24-hr clock)

MM/DD/YYYY

Remember, incoming should always be greater than outgoing.

In oF

Nearest 0.5 inch

Nearest 0.00 lb (with snow and caps)

Nearest 0.00 lb (empty tube and caps)

Note passing clouds or haze, vegetation showing through snowpack, leaf litter or debris on snow pack, snow grain texture (i.e., corn snow, light and powdery), etc.

Yes/No

ACLR (0%); CLR (1-30%); PCL (31-60%); OVC (>60%)

How To Measure

1. Identify area to measure and approach from

north.

2. Point leveling boom south with MP-200 facing

upward, use bubble at hip to level. Record UP1.

3. Flip boom and level at hip with MP-200 facing

downward. Record DOWN1.

4. Repeat steps 3 & 4 two more times, for total of

three up & down paired measurements.

5. Turn off MP-200 and replace cap. Record other

comments (e.g., cloud and snow conditions)

6. Enter recorded values on CoCoRaHS.org

Think Snow!

Questions?

Contact: Liz Burakowski

elizabeth.burakowski@gmail.com