Snow Measurement Field School 2025 Recap
Posted Mar 13, 2025
CUAHSI facilitated its 7th Snow Measurement Field School January 6-10, 2025 in Mammoth Lakes, CA at the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory (SNARL). This workshop, supported by funding from NASA, had 22 participants. Nine students requested and received travel support or a full scholarship for this workshop, totaling approximately $6,000. Each day, through lectures and hands-on demonstrations, participants were trained on snow properties, measurement methods, and field campaign best practices. In small groups, participants dug snow pits and practiced measuring snow properties with guidance from instructors. The week culminated in a mini field campaign that participants designed, executed, and presented in teams.
In addition to the team of excellent instructors (Kate Hale, Alex Langlois, Joe Meyer, McKenzie Skiles, Megan Mason and TAs Marianne Cowherd and Arielle Koshkin), workshop participants heard from local experts throughout the week. Participants were invited to tour an airplane from ASO (the Airborne Snow Observatories) to see the instrumentation they use to collect remotely sensed data of snow on a watershed scale. Dr. Thomas Painter (CEO of Airborne Snow Observatories) gave a presentation on the work that they do, and was also able to highlight some of the concerns researchers and water managers have locally with regards to the snow pack and water resources. The group also visited Mammoth Mountain to see the Snow Science Laboratory, known as CUES, and heard from Ned Bair, who manages the site.
As a result of this workshop, a new cohort of snow school alumni had the opportunity to network, are able to perform high-quality fieldwork, and design their own studies using snowpack measurements. Thank you to all of the instructors, guest speakers, facilitators and participants who made this Snow School another success!