# Presentation: 700452

## SNOW NETWORK PROGRAM	A Status Report

- NWS CENTRAL REGION
- July 27, 2004

## Snow Network Program

- Snow is one of the most important parameters that define a location’s climate and weather
- Billions of dollars are spent on snow management each year
- Snow enhances the national economy with life-sustaining water to much of the West during the summer snowmelt season.
- Great Impacts of Snow require accurate and consistent measurement.

## Snow Network Program

- Snowfall records come from two NOAA national networks:
- Coop with about 11,000 stations having historical snowfall records
- Local Climatological Data sites at about 275 airport locations

## Snow Network Program

- Cooperative Observing Network stations observe and record snowfall, snow depth and water equivalent of snowfall on a _once per day basis_.

## Snow Network Program

- For 60-70 years first and second order weather reporting stations recorded winter precipitation
- Snowfall
- Snow Depth
- Liquid equivalent of Snowfall
- Water Equivalent of Snow on the Ground (18Z)
- LCD snowfall data have, for decades, provided the nation with the bulk of its near real-time 6-and-24 hourly snowfall observations.

## Snow Network Program

- There are 275 LCD Locations
- There has been a loss of about 50 percent of our snowfall data since automation of surface observations at LCD airport locations.
- Some cooperative data and aviation observational data was used to fill in the record, but it did not meet the quality needed for LCDs.

## Snow Network Program

## Snow Network Program

- The Local Climatological Data (LCD) record is incomplete and/or unrepresentative with the loss of frozen precipitation and water equivalent measurements of snow at many of the nation’s airports.
- This data discontinuity has negatively impacted the ability to access climate variability and change, does not meet customer requirements nor basic climatological data analysis for socio-economic decision-making.

## Snow Network Program

- A Team was formed to address the lack of quality data in Spring of 2003
- Team Recommendations were made to the Operations Committee of the NWS Corporate Board October 2003
- The Operations Committee unanimously agreed that accurately measuring snowfall and snow depth is vital to our nation’s economic well-being as well as preservation of life and property.  They recognize the importance of quality observational data to our operations and to meet the needs of NWS partners and customers.

## Snow Network Program

- Three pronged effort emphasized
- NWS Staff at 56 WFOs are collocated with LCD airports and will continue good records
- About 114 FAA Contract Observing (CWO) locations would be tasked
- Remaining LCD locations to have Snow-Paid contracts established for the snowfall readings

## Snow Network Program

- NWS Headquarters is working with FAA Headquarters on ensuring that upcoming winter is covered at CWO locations
- Of the 30 NWS Central Region Snow-Paid sites, we established 16 sites last winter.
- Recruiting for upcoming winter to start in August 2004

## Snow Network Program

- Data to be sent real time in 6-hourly SCD reports
- Data to be published with LCD publications