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How To Measure Snow

December 6, 2022
By WeatherBug's Ali Husain
There are a couple of different measurements for recording the amount of snow that has fallen from a recent snowstorm. Read on to find out about the different measurements, and how you can take your own snowfall measurements.

There are three main types of snowfall measurements that are typically recorded by the NWS: liquid equivalent of snowfall (last 24-hours and reported in hundredths of an inch), snowfall (newly fallen) taken as soon as snow stops falling when possible and no more than 4 times a day (reported in inches and tenths), and snow depth, a measurement of the total depth of snow on the ground, reported once a day (usually at 7am) and to the nearest whole inch.

You will only need three things to get accurate snow measurements for snowfall and snow depth: a snow board, a yard stick and something tall to mark your spot*. Don’t get confused between snow board and snowboard; the former is just a piece of plywood, about 1/2 an inch to 3/4 of an inch thick and painted white, while the latter is what we use for snowboarding, usually made of materials such as fiberglass, plastic, steel and wood.

You want your snow board to be white, so that it doesn’t absorb any heat and aid in the melting of snow that falls upon it. Place the snow board outside, away from areas where snow drifts can accumulate. Conversely, avoid placing the board in any spots that are sheltered from the weather, and this can negatively impact the snow totals you measure. Once you’ve picked your spot, place your snow board on the ground and mark the spot with a tall object stuck into the ground next to the board. Now, it’s time to wait for some snow!

If you are measuring new snowfall, plunge your yardstick into the snow perpendicular to the ground until the yardstick reaches the snowboard. Record the measurement to the nearest tenth of an inch (i.e., 4.2 inches). Keep track of your measurements so you can record the total storm snowfall, and then once you have your measurement, clear off the snow board and place it on top of the freshly fallen snow to begin the process again. If you want to measure total snow depth, keep the snow board and marker in place so you can come outside in the morning each day to measure how deep the snow is using the same method, except round your measurement to the nearest whole inch (i.e., 4.2 inches would become 4 inches).

Measuring the liquid equivalent of snowfall is a little trickier. To do so, you would need to let a rain gauge collect snow without the funnel or inner tube, then bring the gauge inside or to a heated space to allow the snowfall to melt. If there is significant wind, the process becomes even more complicated, as you will need to take a snow core sample to get a true liquid water equivalent, as the wind will likely disallow much of the falling snow from making it into the gauge.

While liquid equivalent snowfall is harder to measure, you can see that measuring newly fallen snow totals or the total snow depth is not too challenging, and could be a fun side project for people of all ages during the winter months. Check into your WeatherBug app during the winter to get your upcoming forecast and to know when to put your snow board outside ahead of any incoming snow.

*If you want to measure total snow depth and new snowfall concurrently, you will need to double your materials to have one snow board in place for the entire snow event/season, and the other moving in accordance with your measurements as described above.

Source: NWS
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Story Image via NWS