The snowpack atop mountain peaks in California are now being measured using laser beams by NASA. The new measurements will help to better gauge the amount of water that will run down rivers and streams during the spring runoff.
“In a new mission, NASA fixed a lumbering twin-engine plane with high-tech equipment to make regular snow surveys, starting last weekend in drought-stricken California before the weather front expected to bring snow to the Sierra this week. At an altitude of up to 20,000 feet, the so-called Airborne Snow Observatory measures snowpack’s depth and water content with precision.” Read more @ nytimes.com