Nevada Snow Survey - What's New for 2026

Field Season Highlights

SNOTEL sites are winter work horses transmitting data each hour. After the snow is gone each station needs some human TLC to prepare it for the following winter. In Nevada and the eastern Sierra that totals over 90 SNOTEL visits each summer. Many locations allow truck or UTV access, but others can only be reached on foot, by boat and even by helicopter. During summer visits precipitation gages are serviced, sensors are checked, software is updated, and repairs are made. The NRCS maintains a SNOSTAT map where any current SNOTEL data issues are tracked across Nevada, the eastern Sierra and Utah.

New QR code signs added to SNOTEL sites with cell service: About 20% of the SNOTEL sites in our region are located in areas with cell service. To help the public access data at these sites we have begun installing QR code signs that link to site data. If you are in the backcountry and find a SNOTEL station look for one of these new signs.

QR code sign on equipment shelter at Independence Camp SNOTEL.

Snow depth and air temperature sensor upgrades: Significant progress was made upgrading snow depth and air temperature sensors. As of December 2025, over 90% snow depth sensors and air temperature sensors across Nevada and the eastern Sierra have been replaced. These projects will be completed in 2026. The new snow depth instruments show a significant improvement making measurements during heavy snowfall which was a shortcoming of previous sensors. Air temperature upgrades are also occurring across the west-wide SNOTEL network to correct a temperature bias issue. After each air temperature sensor is replaced the NRCS runs a database routine to debias the historic data and correct the data issue.

Map of snow depth sensor for SNOTELs in Nevada and the Eastern Sierra. The red and blue symbols indicate SNOTEL sites that have been upgraded with new snow depth sensors. New sensors show a significant improvement making measurements during heavy snowfall events.

Snowpack temperature measurements in the Sierra: The NRCS is experimenting with digital temperature cables(DTC) to measure the vertical temperature profile of the snowpack. The data from these cables will help calculate the snow's cold content which in turn can help assess flooding potential leading into rain-on-snow events by predicting how much rain the snowpack will absorb prior to the snow starting to melt. For winter 2026, we installed a new DTC at the Central Sierra Snow Lab SNOTEL. This is in addition to the DTC at Heavenly Valley SNOTEL. For more information and links to the data: click here.

Photos of the digital temperature cables at CSS Lab SNOTEL and Heavenly Valley SNOTEL.

Summer 2026 wildfire impacts: The Jakes Fire damaged equipment at Midas SNOTEL in the Lower Humboldt Basin on August 5, 2025. The data outage only lasted one week. The BLM allowed NRCS staff back into the area to rebuild the site on August 12, 2025. Fortunately, nearby Snowstorm Mtn SNOTEL narrowly escaped damage.

The map shows the Jakes Fire perimeter. The fire damaged equipment at Midas SNOTEL. Nearby Snowstorm Mtn SNOTEL narrowly escaped damage. Photos of Midas SNOTEL, pre-fire (left), post-fire after the site was rebuilt (center), Jakes Fire damage to the air temperature shield, the transmission antenna and the snow depth senor (right).

New Web Products:

Forecast Evolution Charts now with Weekly Guidance: The NRCS National Water and Climate Center introduced Forecast Evolution Charts last spring. These charts display monthly forecast exceedances as a time series. As the water year passes and forecast skill increases, the spread in forecast exceedance volumes gets tighter. These charts also track cumulative observed streamflow during the runoff period which allows users to verify forecast performance after the season.

For 2026, the NWCC is adding new Weekly Guidance Forecasts to the Evolution Charts. Guidance forecasts are an automated product issued on the 1st, 9th, 16th and 23th of the month allowing users to track forecast evolution between official first of month publication dates. Guidance forecasts for 2026 will start being issued after January 1st for select points in the Sierra. Links to Forecast Evolution Charts with or without the Guidance Forecasts are available on the Streamflow Forecast webpage. Upon request, additional guidance forecasts can be added. Please reach out to [email protected].

Example Forecast Evolution chart for the Truckee River below Boca Dam for water year 2025. Weekly Guidance Forecasts are display in the background.

SNOTEL Comparison Charts: SNOTEL Comparison Charts have been added to the bottom of the SNOTEL Charts webpage. These charts compare either daily data (current water year) or hourly data (last 72 hours) for individual SNOTEL sites in each basin. Charts for SWE, precipitation, snow depth, air temperature, and soil saturation are available. The hourly charts are a great way to track near real-time changes during intense winter storms across the elevation band represented by the group of SNOTELs. Most NRCS charts utilize quality checked daily data to reduce data anomalies. Hourly data are provisional which means it is not quality checked. Data issues such as precipitation plugs (when a precipitation gage is overwhelmed by snow) can develop. In this case that site's precipitation data might start to flat-line. For this reason, use the hourly charts with caution.

Example hourly SNOTEL comparison chart for snow depth for sites in the Truckee Basin. These data were from a warm storm where rain was turning to snow, first at higher elevations (Mt Rose Ski Area SNOTEL in yellow) followed hours later by lower elevation sites (such as CSS Lab - red). Using these charts combined with knowledge of your local SNOTEL network can help you track snow levels during storms.