Snow cover distribution as mapped from satellite photography

Abstract

Absiract. Utilizing data from three winter seasons, snow cover distributions in the relatively fiat terrain of the Missouri and Upper Mississippi River basins are ma.pped from satellite photography. Techniques are developed for identifying snow cover and for differentiating between snow and cloud. Comparisons between snow data observed by satellites and snow data conventionally acquired indicate that, in almost all cases, snow can be distinguished from cloud on the bases of current cloud reports, pattern continuity, landmark identification, and texture. Snow cover can be mapped from Tiros or Essa resolution photography with an accuracy of approximately +--20 miles, often providing a more detailed mapping than can be obtained from conventional station networks. Qualitative estimates of snow depth can also be obtained from satellite photography. In nonforested areas, reflectivity increases with snow depth, until an accumulation of about 4 to 6 inches is reached; after that, the reflectivity remains unchanged. In forested areas, no discernible relationship between reflectivity, and snow depth is observed. (Key words: Snow cover; satellite.)

Inroads of remote sensing into hydrologic science during the WRR era

“…Techniques for such measurements have been subjects of several recent review papers [ König et al ., ; Dozier and Painter , ; Nolin , ; Frei et al ., ]. Of these, measurement of snow‐covered area is the most straightforward, and was the subject of the first WRR paper to apply remote sensing to hydrology [ Barnes and Bowley , , also see section 1.0]. The major advances since those early efforts have been the automatic identification of snow [ Dozier , ], discrimination between snow and clouds [ Valovcin , ], and measurement of the fractional coverage of snow in pixels where vegetation and soil are exposed [ Painter et al ., ].…”

“…The first WRR paper that exploited satellite products [ Barnes and Bowley , ] mapped snow cover using visible band imagery from TIROS and ESSA weather satellites (the latter a slightly finer resolution successor to the TIROS series). Because the reflectivity of snow covered and snow free land surfaces contrast sharply, identification of snow was a natural first hydrological use of remote sensing.…”

Multi-spectral classification of snow using NOAA AVHRR imagery

“…. Barnes and Bowley 1968) have relied upon pattern recognition techniques such as the conformity of snow cover to the terraiiconfiguration a i d the uniformity of snow reflectance as compared to the uneven appearance of cloud, together with the identification of terrestrial features such as rivers, forest edges, roads and agricultural patterns. In addition, multitemporal analysis and techniques for the recog&tion of cloud shadows have been employed for snow/cloud discrimination.…”

Meteorological Satellite Program

“…Snow surveys have been studied with satellite pictures [Popham, 1968;Ramey, 1970]. After earlier investiga tions established the feasibility of snow estimates in nonmountainous and relatively unforested terrain [ Barnes and Bowley, 1968], snow cover estimates from satellite pictures were extended to mountainous areas [ Barnes and Bowley, 1970]. The CMB chart technique has also been shown to be effective in snow survey work [McClain and Baker, 1969].…”