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Snow Water Equivalent is the depth of water that would cover the ground if the snow-cover
was in a liquid state. In the mid-1930's a Congressional mandate prompted the formation
of the National Resource Conservation Services' (NRCS) SNOTEL (SNOwpack TELemetry)
system "to measure snowpack in the mountains of the West and forecast the water
supply".
Meteor Burst Communications has provided a means of automation for the process of
gathering the sensor data from remote sites located in eleven Western States including
Alaska. More than 600 sites are generally located in remote, high-mountain watersheds
where access is often difficult or restricted. These sites are designed to operate
unattended and without maintenance for a minimum of a year. They are battery powered
with solar cell recharge.
Basic sites have a pressure sensing pillow, storage precipitation gage and air temperature
sensor. More sensors, if desired, can be accommodated.
The MCC-545B Packet Data Radio and MCC-520B provide the infrastructure for the SNOTEL
network. The system has the ability with two-way communications to vary the configuration
of a remote site from a PC located hundreds of miles away.
Above is a map of the SNOTEL sites in Washington state. Click
here to see a map of all the sites. Or visit the NRCS SNOTEL website.
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