Before the first storm: Preparing snow monitoring networks for the season ahead

With the 2026-27 snow season approaching, environmental monitoring networks have a narrow window to get equipment installed, validated, and ready before the first storm arrives. Once conditions turn, site access narrows, maintenance windows shrink, and any equipment gap discovered mid-season, rather than caught in advance, can mean months of unreliable or missing data.

For networks adding or replacing snow depth sensors ahead of the season, a few selection criteria matter more than others:

• Measurement technology and storm performance. Not all snow depth sensors perform equally once snow is actually falling. Ultrasonic sensors can lose accuracy or drop data during active snowfall, high winds, or blowing snow, the exact conditions a network exists to capture. LiDAR-based measurement is designed to hold accuracy through those conditions, which matters more for network reliability than clear-weather specs alone.
• Operating range and durability. Sites at remote or high-elevation locations need equipment rated for the temperature swings, moisture exposure, and physical shock or vibration those environments produce, not just standard outdoor ratings.
• Power requirements. Solar or battery-powered stations should be sized against winter power budgets specifically, since lower daylight and colder temperatures reduce available power right when demand from heating or logging functions increases.
• Data output and integration. Confirm the sensor's output protocol, SDI-12, RS-232, or otherwise, matches existing loggers and telemetry systems, and that it can integrate without a network-wide equipment overhaul.
• Onsite data retention. A built-in data logger reduces the number of separate systems that need to be configured and maintained correctly before a site becomes inaccessible for the season.
• Mounting flexibility. Sites vary in tower height, structure type, and mounting angle. A sensor that only supports one mounting configuration can limit where and how quickly it can be deployed.

Timeline for readiness: Selection and procurement should be finalised at least 8 to 10 weeks before typical first snowfall in a given region, allowing time for shipping, installation, and a full validation cycle. Installation and initial calibration should happen with enough buffer, typically 4 to 6 weeks out, to catch and correct any mounting, power, or data path issues while site access is still straightforward. Final validation, confirming the full data path from sensor to database, should be complete before the first forecasted snow event, not scheduled around it.

R.M. Young's SNOdar snow depth sensor is one option built against these criteria: LiDAR-based measurement for storm-condition accuracy, an IP67 rating with a -40 to 60 degree Celsius operating range, an average power draw of 0.5 watts, oblique or normal mounting for flexible retrofit, SDI-12 and RS-232 output, and a built-in seasonal data logger.

R.M. Young Company has manufactured precision environmental measurement instruments in the United States since 1964 and continues to push the envelope of what’s possible in snow science. 

Download the How to Choose a Snow Sensor Field Guide to ensure you deploy the best instrument for your application.