A snow cover map is an excellent tool for understanding the current snowfall in any given location. Current snowfall is indicated on the map by colored snowflake symbols. Green indicates light to moderate precipitation while blue and violet indicate heavy snowfall. A cursor at the bottom left corner of the snow cover map allows you to track the course of snowfall in the future. You can use your cell phone or mouse to move the markers. It is easy to view snowfall in any location by zooming in and out.
Important information for everyone
- The map is easy to view and is updated hourly with water density readings from hundreds of remote weather stations.
- The snow cover map is useful for predicting how much snow is expected to fall over the next 12 hours.
- The different types of snow are formed using distinct characteristics.
- The extent of snow cover in these regions varies based on the proximity to the oceans and the presence of mountains.
- Despite this, the Eastern U.S. had relatively warm conditions during December and January, but conditions improved after the holiday period.
- From January to March, snowfall was plentiful and there were bonus late-season snow events as well.
- The scientific explanation for snow’s white color can be found in the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.
- Essentially, snow is made up of small ice crystals that are stacked together.
Short FAQ
How is snow made?
Snow is made up of varying amounts of water and ice. Snowflakes are made of ice and water vapor. The water vapor in the air condenses into tiny water droplets. These water droplets freeze into ice crystals. Snowflakes form when these ice crystals clump together. The more water vapor in the air, the more snowflakes form.
What is the difference between snow and freezing rain?
Freezing rain is rain that turns to ice pellets after it hits the ground. Snow is made up of ice crystals that fall from the sky. Snowflakes are generally larger than freezing rain pellets.
What is the difference between types of snow?
There are three main types of snow: dry snow, wet snow, and slush. Dry snow is the light and fluffy type that is often used for making snowmen. Wet snow is the denser and heavier type that is often used for making snowballs. Slush is the partially melted type of snow that is often seen on roads and sidewalks.
Why is snow white?
The scientific explanation for snows white color can be found in the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Essentially, snow is made up of small ice crystals that are stacked together. Light passes through the first layer of crystals before refracting through the next. This pattern continues until the light is bent out of the pile. Since ice does not absorb light, the white color of snow is the result of light s interaction with the ice. Certain conditions cause snow to appear red, blue, or green. However, this rarely occurs.
Why does snow glitter?
This phenomenon is caused by the rays of sunlight reflecting off ice crystals in the snow. When sunlight hits the snow crystals, it creates a reflective mirror effect, which then bounces back in the form of rainbow colors.
Snow cover map – your snow forecast
The best source for snow cover information in the world is the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) daily snow cover products. The MODIS data have been available since February 2000 and were reprojected to use the Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system in 2002. The result of this process is an accurate snow cover map. The maps are available in a variety of formats, including raster images and tabular data.
The Postholer Google Map and MODIS Snow Stations (Daily) map both offer an overlay that gives you the same information. Each one of the maps contains a corresponding map of the amount of snow accumulated in a given mountain zone over the previous twenty-four hours. The map also provides water density readings from hundreds of remote weather stations, and updates once per hour. These maps provide accurate information about current conditions, but they do not predict snowpack conditions.
Where is it snowing right now?
Where is it snowing right now? It’s early in the day, but there’s a chance of snowfall tomorrow in eastern parts of the UK. The snowfall forecast map from the National Weather Service is showing that snow has fallen in some areas. While more snowfall is possible in certain locations, the majority of England and Wales is expected to remain snow-free. The snowfall forecast map can be viewed here.
Snow cover map – Current snowfall in the USA
Current snowfall maps show the snow cover and predicted snowfall for the next 12 hours. This is a result of radar measurements, which send microwaves into clouds and reflect back waves reflected from water droplets. The more waves are reflected back, the higher the probability of snowfall. Temperature and other factors can be used to predict the type of precipitation. In this way, it is possible to predict snowfall.
Seasonal changes in precipitation are also examined for eight mountain ranges across the western U.S. Precipitation in mountain ranges along the Pacific coast is the most intense during winter months, when Pacific thunderstorm dominate. During the winter months, precipitation accumulates uniformly across continental and interior mountain ranges. In many areas, however, snowfall is lower than average. Therefore, a more accurate assessment of snowpack will require a detailed study of snowfall rates.
How does a snow cover map work in practice?
In practice, the calculation of snow depth is based on data from in situ and satellite observation stations. The difference between the two methods is small and acceptable, which results in a map with lower differences in snow depth than the former. In the example below, the area of central Switzerland shows the highest snow depth values, while the southern Alps and Lake Maggiore have below-average snow depths.
Apart from the snow cover map, the other radars are also similar. We’re recommending these radars to check:
A snow cover map is useful for predicting how much snow is expected to fall over the next 12 hours. It displays the current snowfall on the map in the form of snowflake symbols. Snowfall is color-coded on the map and green represents a light to moderate amount of snowfall, blue indicates moderate to heavy snowfall, and violet is heavy snowfall. In practice, snow maps are useful for forecasting precipitation in a variety of weather conditions and assessing the effectiveness of different weather and climate models.
While satellite-based satellite observations are often the first method to estimate snow cover, a model called a spatially-distributed snow energy and mass balance (SDSM) is used to estimate snow cover on the ground. While this technique has a 30% cloud contamination factor, it is still more accurate than traditional satellite-only snow cover maps. The final snow cover map contains both observations of snow cover and modeled snow beneath clouds.
Facts about snow
What is snow? Snow is made up of individual ice crystals that grow in suspended suspension in the atmosphere or within clouds. Then, after falling to the ground, they undergo further changes. In some regions, snow is the most common and recognizable type of precipitation. However, if you are not familiar with snow, here are some interesting facts about snow. Let’s start by exploring the formation of snow. Firstly, snow crystals are made up of ice, which is a compound of water and oxygen.
In some areas, snow piles are the result of a winter storm. The layers of old snow and new snow separate them. This helps you understand how to spot the difference between the two. The different types of snow are formed using distinct characteristics. For example, a snow pile with lots of ice is known as a’snow bank’. These layers are also separated by characteristics, such as density. As you can see, snow piles differ in their appearance and can be a good way to understand snow. Sometimes, lightnings occur.
Snow depth in the USA/Canada
SNODAS, the Snow Depth Analysing System, collects snow depth data from numerous sources. The data includes daily snow depth anomalies, monthly averages, and climatologies of snow cover. The snow cover map, for example, gives the current amount of snow on each day, along with the depth of the most recent snow. The snow cover map also gives the estimated snow water equivalent. In addition, SNODAS offers free access to their Premium Membership.
The average maximum snow depth was computed over 18 winter seasons from 1979 to 1997. The highest snow depths were observed in southern Canada, mountainous areas, and the Arctic. The western Cordillera in western Canada shows a very prominent maximum snow accumulation. Snow depths can reach several metres in this region. The secondary maximums are found in Labrador and Quebec. The extent of snow cover in these regions varies based on the proximity to the oceans and the presence of mountains.
Between September and April, the snowpack on terrestrial land and sea ice increased by an average of 3.2 cm +/-0.6 cm monthly. The on-ice snow depth and on-land snow depth were positive correlated in the Canadian Arctic, indicating that snow cover has been increasing more quickly than normal. Despite this, the Eastern U.S. had relatively warm conditions during December and January, but conditions improved after the holiday period. From January to March, snowfall was plentiful and there were bonus late-season snow events as well. In the Northeast, snowfall fell just below average this winter, with New England having the lowest totals of the last few years.
Why is snow white?
The scientific explanation for snow’s white color can be found in the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Essentially, snow is made up of small ice crystals that are stacked together. Light passes through the first layer of crystals before refracting through the next. This pattern continues until the light is bent out of the pile. Since ice does not absorb light, the white color of snow is the result of light’s interaction with the ice.
Certain conditions cause snow to appear red, blue, or green. However, this rarely occurs. Under these conditions, incident visible light reflects only a few times, whereas the longer wavelengths of light penetrate deeper into the ice and are scattered or dissipated. In this case, the blue-coloured ice is reflected back to the observer. But this process is not completely reliable. In addition to the ice itself being white, impurities can also cause snow to change color. Depending on the weather, dirt and debris may be near the roads, changing the appearance of snow.
Why does snow glitter?
If you’ve ever wondered why snow sparkles, you’re not alone. This phenomenon is caused by the rays of sunlight reflecting off ice crystals in the snow. When sunlight hits the snow crystals, it creates a reflective mirror effect, which then bounces back in the form of rainbow colors. The rays of light hit individual ice crystals in the uppermost layer of snow, causing the sparkles and colors to bounce back.
Unlike other types of sparkling surfaces, the sparkles created by snow are a natural phenomenon. In fact, ice crystals on snow act like mirrors, reflecting light in various directions. Light rays hit individual ice crystals on the uppermost layer of snow, which reflect it upward. This makes the reflected light appear amazingly bright. However, ice crystals are more likely to be separated and refract light when the surface is dry, and that is why you’ll see this phenomenon more often during drier weather.
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