Harvard Forest

Data Archive

HF155

Harvard Forest Snow Pillow since 2009

Related Publications

Data

• hf155-01: daily (preview)
• hf155-02: 15-minute (preview)

Overview

• Lead: Emery Boose, Mark VanScoy
• Investigators:
• Contact: Information Manager
• Start date: 2009
• End date: 2025
• Status: ongoing. Data updated monthly
• Location: Prospect Hill Tract (Harvard Forest)
• Latitude: +42.53521 degrees
• Longitude: -72.18665 degrees
• Elevation: 340 meter
• Datum: WGS84
• Taxa:
• Release date: 2026
• Language: English
• EML file: knb-lter-hfr.155.26
• DOI: digital object identifier
• EDI: data package
• DataONE: data package
• Related links:
• Real-Time Measurements
• Fisher Meteorological Station at Harvard Forest since 2001
• Prospect Hill Hydrological Stations at Harvard Forest since 2005
• Study type: long-term measurement
• Research topic: forest-atmosphere exchange; watershed ecology
• LTER core area: disturbance patterns
• Keywords: climate, hydrology, precipitation, snow, snow water equivalence, water balance
• Abstract:

  Water storage in snowpack is a key factor in the hydrological cycle of central New England. The Harvard Forest Snow Pillow provides continuous long-term measurements of the water content of snowpack (snow water equivalent) during the winter months. The snow pillow is located in a mature mixed hardwood stand with scattered conifers about 50 m north of the Nelson Brook Big Weir. For current data, please see: https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/met-hydro-stations.

• Methods:

  Trees were removed to create a small opening (15 m) in the canopy to reduce snow interception by branches. Leaf litter and the top 4 cm of organic soil were replaced with sand and graded to create a level surface 5 m in diameter. The snow pillow (rubber, 3 m diameter) was installed on this surface, enclosed in a rubber liner and hardware cloth, and filled with 150 gallons of propylene glycol (75%) and water (25%). A pressure transducer provides continuous measurements of the mass of snow on the pillow. The sensor is scanned every 10 seconds and 15-minute average values are retained. Instruments are disconnected in summer (June 1-Sep 30) to protect from lightning damage. All times are Eastern Standard Time.

  Each winter the start and end dates of the snowpack season are determined by field observation and images from the EMS subcanopy camera (HF158). Snow water equivalent is set to zero at other times. During the first part of 2014-2015, the snow pillow was not operational and snow water equivalent was estimated from snowpack depth measured at the EMS Tower (HF004), using snow stakes (HF237) visible from the EMS subcanopy camera (HF158).

• Organization: Harvard Forest. 324 North Main Street, Petersham, MA 01366, USA. Phone (978) 724-3302. Fax (978) 724-3595.

• Project: The Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program examines ecological dynamics in the New England region resulting from natural disturbances, environmental change, and human impacts. (ROR).

• Funding: National Science Foundation LTER grants: DEB-8811764, DEB-9411975, DEB-0080592, DEB-0620443, DEB-1237491, DEB-1832210.

• Use: This dataset is released to the public under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (No Rights Reserved). Please keep the dataset creators informed of any plans to use the dataset. Consultation with the original investigators is strongly encouraged. Publications and data products that make use of the dataset should include proper acknowledgement.

• License: Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal (CC0-1.0)

• Citation: Boose E, VanScoy M. 2026. Harvard Forest Snow Pillow since 2009. Harvard Forest Data Archive: HF155 (v.26). Environmental Data Initiative: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/a61a5173d040cf5559aaffa01f34d6e7.

Detailed Metadata

hf155-01: daily

1. date: date
2. jd: Julian day (unit: nominalDay )
3. swe: snow water equivalent. Average of 10-second measurements. (unit: millimeter / missing value: NA)
4. f.swe: flag for snow water equivalent
   • M: missing. Instrument not installed, instrument not working correctly, or measured value out of range.
   • E: estimated. Value estimated from incomplete measurements or from other sources.

hf155-02: 15-minute

1. datetime: date and time at end of sampling period
2. jd: Julian day (unit: nominalDay )
3. swe: snow water equivalent. Average of 10-second measurements. (unit: millimeter / missing value: NA)
4. f.swe: flag for snow water equivalent
   • M: missing. Instrument not installed, instrument not working correctly, or measured value out of range.
   • E: estimated. Value estimated from incomplete measurements or from other sources.