UVM Gets Grant for Snow-Monitoring Sensors
New sensors at three Vermont elevations will measure snow depth, temperature and density to improve data for winter sports, flooding and water planning.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Current Conditions
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The University of Vermont received a grant to install snow-monitoring equipment at three elevations across the state. The Vermont team, with researchers in New Hampshire and Maine, received a $5.9 million National Science Foundation grant for the work.
Why it matters
Vermont's snowpack has changed, with the state getting about two feet less snow per year than in 1990, according to the Vermont Climate Assessment. Better local snow data could help forecasting for winter sports, flooding and water resources.
The grant totals $5.9 million from the National Science Foundation for the joint project. The Vermont Climate Assessment found winter is the state's fastest-warming season, but the stub does not give a snowfall trend beyond the two-foot decline since 1990.
The players
University of Vermont
A public research university in Burlington that leads the Vermont portion of the snow-monitoring project and runs the Mount Mansfield snow stake.
National Science Foundation
The U.S. federal agency that funds basic scientific research and awarded the $5.9 million grant for this project.
The details
Snow pillows and other advanced recording devices will measure depth, temperature and density at Jericho Research Forest, Sleepers River in Danville, and high on Mount Mansfield. Scientists in the East have mostly relied on computer modeling for snow data, while such sensors have been used out West for many years.
Timeline
Winter 2026-27: Sensor installation begins at UVM research sites.
Next couple of years: Full snow-monitoring equipment expected in place.
Seasonal Patterns
The UVM Vermont Climate Assessment found winter is the state's fastest-warming season and that Vermont now gets about two feet less snow per year than in 1990. The new sensors add direct measurements to that trend, which until now relied largely on computer models in the East.
The sensors will improve snow data used for forecasting winter sports conditions, flood risk and water resource planning. Residents who rely on those forecasts can expect more localized information as the network comes online.
The takeaway
Better local snow measurements from several elevations will help Vermonters plan around a winter season that is warming faster than others in the state.
What happens next
Sensor installation at the Vermont research sites is scheduled to begin this winter, with full monitoring equipment expected in place over the next couple of years.
Further reading
Track live snow and road conditions in the Current Conditions section for Vermont.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Seven Days.
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