NSF Funded Snow Monitoring Project in New England
The National Science Foundation awarded $2.6 million to the University of New Hampshire to automate regional snow data collection.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Current Conditions
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In August 2026, the National Science Foundation provided $2.6 million in funding to the University of New Hampshire for the Snow STORE project. This initiative will deploy automated monitoring infrastructure across New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont to improve data collection.
Why it matters
The project addresses a decline in New England winter season length and aims to fill frequent gaps in daily snow data. By automating measurements, researchers hope to better track snow depth and water equivalent across the region.
The initiative targets 10 sites for automated data collection, including installations at Mount Washington, Mount Sunapee, and Wildcat Mountain. This compares to the existing Western U.S. SNOTEL network, which currently operates 900 monitoring stations.
The players
National Science Foundation
This is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering.
University of New Hampshire
This public research university serves as the primary site of operations for the Snow STORE project.
National Weather Service
This federal agency provides weather, water, and climate data, forecasts, and warnings for the protection of life and property.
The details
The project creates a collaboration between universities, non-profits, industry partners, and the National Weather Service. It specifically focuses on measuring snow depth and snow water equivalent, which typically range from 5 to 30% in snowpack.
Timeline
The National Science Foundation awarded funding in August 2026.
Project presenters discussed the program details during a webinar on October 14, 2026.
Seasonal Patterns
The project follows a pattern set by the Western U.S. SNOTEL program to standardize snow measurement infrastructure. It seeks to scale this data collection method to Northern New England to combat the observed decline in winter season length.
Residents and stakeholders can access more reliable winter environmental data as the system comes online to monitor snowpack conditions. This infrastructure is designed to provide better situational awareness for regional resource management and public safety.
The takeaway
Reliable daily snow data is becoming essential as regional climate patterns shift and winter seasons shorten. The transition to automated reporting will help stabilize the data stream compared to previous manual collection methods.
Further reading
For updates on regional climate metrics, visit the Current Conditions page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Connecticut Public.
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