Snow - Products

Binary map of snow/no-snow situation by GEO VIS/IR images. The product is processed in different ways and have different quality depending on the surface type. The algorithm is based on thresholding of several SEVIRI channels, the most important in short-wave. Multi-temporal analysis is performed over all images available in 24h to search for cloud-free pixels.

Status of the snow mantle, whether it is wet or dry and, in time series, thawing or freezing. The algorithm is based on thresholding. Product SE-E-SEVIRI is used to remove ambiguity between wet snow and bare soil for preventive snow recognition. Limited validation due to lacking homogeneity in space and time of the snow cover. Main validation area is Nordic Regions (Finland).

The combined effect of fractional snow cover and other reflective contributors is used to estimate the fractional cover at resolution element level. The algorithm is based on multi-channel analysis of AVHRR, the most important being those in shortwave, thus the product is generated in daylight. Multi-temporal analysis is performed to search for cloud-free pixels.

Maps of snow water equivalent derived from MW measurements sensitive to snow thickness and density. The algorithm is based on assimilating MW brightness temperatures of several channels at frequencies with different penetration in snow, into a first-guess field built by the (sparse) network of stations measuring snow depth.

Snow detection for flat land (snow mask) by VIS/NIR of SEVIRI

EPS Daily Snow Cover

Snow product including daily snow-detection maps based on VIS/NIR data from SEVIRI on board of Meteosat satellites over the full disk area.

Effective snow cover product by VIS/IR radiometry is based on multi-channel analysis of the AVHRR instrument onboard MetOp satellites.

Product SN-SWE-HH (Snow water equivalent by MW radiometry) is based on the SSMIS instrument onboard the DMSP series satellites.