SNOW
Is a crucial variable in hydrology, influencing various critical aspects, including but not limited to serving as a natural fresh water reservoir, providing steady flow for rivers and streams, being an indicator for climate change, being critical for generating hydroelectric power and affecting soil moisture levels. Thus, knowing the status of snow is of very high importance. Inherent limitations of ground measurements, i.e. spatial and temporal resolution, pose challenges on monitoring of snow and underline the need and use for satellite-based snow cover/status information.
AVAILABLE PRODUCTS
Snow Detection
Is the binary snow extent information as in if a pixel is snow or no-snow (bare-ground). While some of the operational products, i.e. H10, H31, H34, uses geostationary SEVIRI on MSG, other operational products i.e. H32 uses AVHRR on MetOp/NOAA to obtain snow extent information. Multi temporal analysis is performed to reduce cloudiness.
Snow Water Equivalent (SWE)
Provides the amount of water the snow contains in a pixel, derived using microwave radiometry which is sensitive to snow depth and thickness.
Wet/Dry Snow
Provides the wet/dry status of snow mantle in a pixel. It can also be used for detecting thawing/freezing when utilized as time series.
Effective Snow Cover
Is the fraction of snow coverage for a pixel, produced at the pixel resolution level based on multi channel analysis of AVHRR. Multi-temporal analysis is performed to reduce cloudiness.
LIST OF OPERATIONAL SNOW PRODUCTS
| Product |
Product code |
Status |
Parameter |
available in (hours) |
| SE-E-SEVIRI |
(H10) |
operational |
snow detection |
3 |
|
| WS-E |
(H11) |
pre-operational |
snow status (dry/wet) |
3 |
|
| E SC-E |
(H12) |
operational |
effective snow cover |
3 |
|
| SWE-E |
(H13) |
operational |
snow water equivalent |
6 |
|
| SE-D-SEVIRI-F |
(H31) |
operational |
snow detection |
3 |
|
| SE-G-AVHRR |
(H32) |
operational |
snow detection |
3 |
|
| SE-D-SEVIRI |
(H34) |
operational |
snow detection |
3 |
|
| ESC-H |
(H35) |
operational |
snow detection and effective snow cover |
3 |
|
| SN-SWE-HH |
(H65) |
operational |
snow water equivalent |
4 |
|