Trends in Snow Cover Frequency

Abstract

Despite its importance, trends of snow cover have yet to be qualitatively defined in any meaningful way, particularly at the global level. In this work, we attempt to quantify the magnitude and significance of snow cover frequency trends across the globe using more than 16 years of an improved and gap filled, MODIS daily snow cover dataset from 10/01/2000 through 10/01/2016. Across the High Plains Aquafer, large areas of increasing snow cover frequency are found in western Nebraska and eastern Colorado, and are neutral to decreasing across most of Kansas. The resulting maps depict a globally consistent and locally relevant snow cover assessment which may be used as a tool to help plan for future water needs, identify macro-, meso-, and micro- scale climatological effects and inform the public about this critical aspect of the hydrologic cycle.