Snow water equivalent data for C1 Snotel, 1981 - ongoing.

The U.S. Soil Conservation Service (SCS) operates hundreds of Snotel sites throughout the western United States. One of these is on Niwot Ridge at C-1, located approximately 1.6 km, by road, from the University of Colorado Mountain Research Station at an approximate elevation of 3000 meters. The Snotel installations operate on the principle that the snowpack exerts pressure on liquid-filled stainless steel "pillows" that rest on the ground. Pressure transducers output a digital signal that is sent via radio telemetry to one of two receiving stations. The transducer output is calibrated by measuring snowpack depth and density on or about the 25th of each month from December through April. A Mt. Rose snow sampler was used to determine the depth and density of the snowpack at each of the "pillow's" four corners. These four values were averaged to determine the monthly snow water equivalent (SWE) in inches.