Airborne Snow Observatories, Inc.

09/01/2026

Virtual registration deadling is approaching for the 2026 A*O Annual Workshop.

Virtual registration closes September 11th.

Group lodging and in-person registration has closed, so be sure to book your own accommodations if you haven't already. See you there!

https://www.airbornesnowobservatories.com/workshop/2026-aso-annual-workshop/

08/12/2026

Group-rate lodging for the 2026 A*O Annual Workshop closes August 14. A limited number of rooms remain, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Don't wait, book your room today! Book here: https://www.inntopia.travel/Ecomm/Package/Package/9801138/en-US/?packageid=92321&promocode=AirborneSnowInc2026

If you have any issues with the group rate, please reach out to the A*O workshop team.

08/11/2026

Redistribution of snow by wind is a major contributor to spatial variability in snow depth and snow water equivalent, shown here by our imagery and lidar-derived snow depth data. Wind and blowing snow are extremely difficult and expensive to model reliably.

A*O captures the wind-induced spatial variation and can also inform research into blowing snow physics and modeling by accurately and precisely measuring the depth of snow where it sits.

To learn more, check out some excellent research using A*O data to understand wind transport of snow and its implications for snowmelt runoff and glacier building:
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GL113599
https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/19/3193/2025/

07/15/2026

Snow albedo plays a key role in how quickly snowpack melts. High albedo means more sunlight is reflected, reducing the amount of solar energy going into the snowpack. As snow ages or darkens with dust and debris, albedo drops and more energy is absorbed by the snowpack, accelerating melt and changing runoff timing.

Airborne Snow Observatories uses visible through near-infrared spectrometers to measure snow albedo across entire mountain basins to better understand and forecast these melt dynamics.

https://www.airbornesnowobservatories.com/

07/10/2026

The 2026 A*O Annual Workshop will be held in-person and virtually September 15-17 at Palisades Tahoe in the beautiful Sierra Nevada.

Registration and lodging booking are now open.

Register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdikNkTe6W7WT-133od1eFR27uUJdSQkIp2wwb9EML6FWCfLg/viewform

Book your room at our group rate: https://www.inntopia.travel/Ecomm/Package/Package/9801138/en-US/?packageid=92321&promocode=AirborneSnowInc2026

Visit the A*O Workshop website for the latest on schedule and logistics: https://www.airbornesnowobservatories.com/workshop/

A limited number of group-rate rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis if booked before August 14, so we encourage planning your travel and securing your room early. Full details are in this week's email, feel free to forward it to anyone who may be interested in joining us.

We're excited to see you in Tahoe this September!

06/15/2026

This is what an airborne lidar survey looks like.

Henry, one of A*O’s flight operators documents a survey of the Dolores River from start to finish: cleaning lenses, powering up the instruments, and running pre-flight tests before climbing to 24,000 feet.

Throughout a six hour flight the lidar and spectrometers are continuously monitored as the plane flies the dozens parallel lines that make up the flight plan.

When the plane touches down, we pull hard drives and begin uploading over a terabyte of raw data to our Compute and Science teams to process into basin-scale, accurate, and precise measurements that drive our runoff forecasts and that water managers use to inform decision making.

Stay tuned for more from the A*O team!

06/09/2026

Late in the season many of the Sierra Nevada's automated snow sensors have melted out. Despite warm and dry conditions considerable amounts of snow remain at high elevations in complex terrain. Assessing the snow water equivalent of these areas is critical to understanding how much water remains above reservoirs across the state, even after snow sensors go offline.

Over the last month A*O field technicians were on the ground across the Sierras digging snow pits in support of our airborne surveys.

A*O depends on these measurements to support the remote sensing and data processing pipline that accurately and precisely estimates how much water is stored in the snowpack. Our field technicians collect snow density profiles from the snow surface down to the ground. Our team uses these measurements to assess and correct any bias in the isnobal model, combined with spatially complete, lidar-derived snow depths to measure SWE at the basin scale.

Unprecedented warm and dry conditions in 2026 have limited the insights available from point sensors. Our field measurements and basin-wide snow depths build a complete picture of SWE volume and distribution across the full extent of the basin.

05/19/2026

The American West's snowpack is changing fast — and the consequences for water supply, drought, and wildfire risk are profound.

Climate Central's Ben Tracy reports on how LiDAR-equipped aircraft are revolutionizing the way scientists measure mountain snow. By comprehensively mapping snow depth, water equivalent, and albedo basin-wide, A*O's technology allows tracking of snow water volumes at an accuracy and precision unmatched by any other method.

Born out of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, our airborne measurement platform gives water managers the high-resolution, rapid-turnaround data they need to make informed decisions — before a shortage becomes a crisis.

The data exists. The technology is proven. Now it's about making sure the people who manage our water have access to both.

🔗 Watch the full report:

Climate change is rapidly shrinking the snowpack that supplies much of the American West’s water — and scientists are turning to advanced airborne technology...

05/07/2026

Colorado's 2025-26 snowpack is historically low. A*O's airborne lidar and imaging spectrometer data is showing us exactly where the snowpack is and what it means for summer water supply.

The warm winter and spring have affected Colorado's snowpack in 2 ways:
First, warmer-than-typical storms produced rain at low elevations, and warm snow up high. Rain instead of snow over that large lower elevation terrain area means that the basin-wide SWE deficit can be big.
Second, the historic heat wave in March got melt season going early, eating into that meager, warm snowpack – producing an early peak in river flows and not leaving much for late spring and summer.

A*O technology originated at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. We work with a broad group of water managers and utilities allowing them to plan and operate with the most accurate basin-scale data available. Full story via the link in bio.

https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/high-tech-mapping-reveals-extent-colorado-snowpack/

Town of Snowmass Village
Colorado River District
Aurora, Colorado City Hall

04/20/2026

Airborne Snow Observatories is featured in a recent 9NEWS (KUSA), Denver article covering Colorado’s record low snowpack and what it means for water supply.

The story highlights how A*O uses lidar and imaging spectrometer data to deliver basin-scale, accurate and precise snow water equivalent and snow reflectance data across entire watersheds.

In a year where conditions are far below average (indeed unprecedented!), accurate water resource management data is essential for planning ahead.

Read the full article to learn how this work is supporting water managers across the West:

The Airborne Snow Observatory uses lidar and spectrometers to measure the water inside Colorado's record low snowpack.