Spatio-temporal variability of snowpack properties: Comparing operational, field, and ICESat remote sensing data over Northern Colorado, United States

Snowpack properties vary spatially and temporally. Three snow depth datasets are evaluated to assess this variability across different scales: operational station data, auxiliary field measurements and remotely sensed estimates from the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) lidar instrument that was aboard the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat). The variability is best illustrated by the field measurements; spatially concurrent snow-off and snow-on ICESat overpassed are rare so the satellite estimates are more approximate while integrating over much larger support or footprint. The operational data cover the least area; even the snowcourse transects measured over 100s of metres show limited variability.