NASA is using a Riegl LiDAR to measure snow pack on a continuous basis in California and Colorado. Prior to using LiDAR the estimates were based on a relatively small number of test sites. Now they can calculate snow depth to within 4 inches and water content to within 5 percent over the entire basin.
Tom Painter, NASA’s lead investigator for the mission said, “About 75 to 80 percent of our water comes from the snowmelt,” He continued, “Understanding the snowpack is really, really important.”