US Army Corps of Engineers
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SWE Volunteer Observation Network for the Great Plains
Kevin Stamm, Kevin Grode,
U.S. Army Corps of EngineersNovember 2010
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Interagency Cooperative Plains Snow Survey
Assessment of plains snow cover Depth and snow water equivalent Scheduled frequency Standardized method & reporting
Location Missouri River Basin and Northern Plains
Supports flood, runoff/water-supply, and reservoir release forecasts
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Interagency Cooperative Plains Snow Survey
Cooperating Agencies State of North Dakota State of South Dakota National Weather Service U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Bureau of Reclamation U.S. Geological Survey
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Survey Equipment
Standard 3-inch inside diameter snow tube
Shovel Spring or digital scale Folding ruler Bucket with handle Pick axe Snow survey data sheet Calculator
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Procedure
Select a site with minimal drifting ¼-mile from upwind obstructions
Collect and composite 5 snow cores from a cross pattern
Weigh the total sample and divide by the conversion factor
#5
#2
#3#1
#4
Collected/Calculated Data
Latitude/Longitude General snow conditions
(drifting, snow consistency)
Snow depth Frost depth & estimated
soil moisture Ground ice thickness Snow density Snow water equivalent
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Data Collection
Reporting to a centralized location/database
Uploaded on a regular bi-monthly schedule
Initial collection through spreadsheet
Future collection through website
Access through website
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Equipment Prices
Equipment Cost
Fiberglass hand-built tube (NWS) materials labor
$185.00
Snowmetrics tube (12-inch length) $150.00
Rickly Adirondack snow tube (48-inch length) $685.00
Rickly Federal snow tube (30-inch length) $315.00
COE-Omaha steel snow tube & tools (30-inch length)* $300.00
* Omaha District design, locally fabricated
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Favorable Conditions for Beetles
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