While the Western United States has a Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) Network of more than 900 stations recording long-term snowfall, snow depth, temperature, and precipitation, the Northeast lacks a connected system of long-term weather stations and accurate snow models that can give data on the changing northeast climate.

The Northeast Snow Survey Feasibility Study was funded in the FY 2023 federal omnibus bill to identify interest-holder needs for snowpack and weather monitoring and design a station network and supporting operations within the northeastern U.S. to meet those needs. With automated weather stations, data can be collected that to help inform our understanding of climate change on mountain snowfall and runoff, mountain ecology, flood and avalanche danger, backcountry recreation, and tourism.

While there are some individual sites in the Northeast that have been historically collecting weather and snow data, they’re disconnected and aren’t coordinated with one another. A cohesive system will provide better data across a bigger area, helping to inform what we know about changing climate. 

Scott McKim, Science Manager at the Whiteface Mountain Field Station, explains that “observing the monitoring efforts firsthand highlights how essential these systems are in tracking climatic patterns and understanding the changing dynamics of snowfall in the region. The data gathered in the Summit-to-Shore system informs everything from local recreation to larger climate models, emphasizing the interconnectedness of regional efforts in a broader environmental context.”

The current NESS partners include the University of Vermont, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the University of New Hampshire, the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Schoodic Institute and the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY-Albany). These partners are working together to identify NESS’s goals and fill the gap in the Northeast's snow monitoring. 

Winter is the fastest warming season East of the Mississippi River, with winter warming hotspots (greater than +2.5ºC since 1970) concentrated in the northeastern United States. Over the past 100 years, the region has lost 2-3 weeks of sustained winter conditions across low elevations and some high montane areas. Most of what we know about winter climate change in the northeastern US comes from low-elevation weather stations in populated areas, with a scarcity of snowpack and weather observations across elevational gradients in more remote areas. 

The ultimate goal of NESS is to establish a system of long-term weather monitoring stations that collect snow, water, and temperature data, among other things. This data will be available for scientists to track weather changes, make water estimates, and predict flooding events.

As climate change continues to impact our daily lives, understanding what kinds of changes are happening — and being able to anticipate and prepare for major events, like flooding — is critical in managing our response at a local, state, and federal level.

Sarah Nelson, Director of Research at the Appalachian Mountain Club, reflects on the importance of bringing together people from varying environments to work towards a common goal: “Arriving from mountain landscapes in Maine and New Hampshire, the summits of Mt. Mansfield and Whiteface Mountain were so familiar in form, and at the same time, unique in resources and opportunities. All of our northeastern mountains are facing similar threats, yet are lacking in many types of fundamental research and monitoring—such as snow information—that will help us understand and protect these systems for future ecological resilience and public enjoyment.”