- Snow pillow
A snow pillow is a device for measuring snowpack, especially for automated reporting stations such as
SNOTEL .The snow pillow measures the water equivalent of the snow pack based on hydrostatic pressure created by overlying snow. Any discrepancy due to bridging is minimized by the large dimension of the pillow, typically convert|3|m|in square. [ cite web
url = http://www.sommer.at/no_cache/en/products/sensors-devices/snow/sommer/own/snow-pillow.html
title = Snow pillow - sensor to measure snow water equivalent (SWE)
publisher = Sommer Mess-Systemtechnik
accessdate = 2008-10-06 ]Another application for snow pillows is to estimate the snow weight on a roof to warn of potential for roof collapse.
Snow pillows were developed in the early 1960s. [ cite web
url = http://ams.allenpress.com/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1175%2F1520-0450(1965)004%3C0626%3AMHPPSG%3E2.0.CO%3B2
title = Mt. Hood Pressure Pillow Snow Gage
author = R.T. Beaumont, Soil Conservation Service, Portland, Oregon
publisher =American Meteorology Society
date = October 1965
accessdate = 2007-09-10 ]et-up
Large dimensions (e.g. size 3 x 3m) of the pillow prevent any bridging that might occur from having an effect on the measurement readings. For snow pressure measurement on roofs is the use of a smaller snow pillow (e.g. 1.x1.m) the better choice, because of the weight of the filling of the snow pillow.
Manufacturer
Company Sommer - http://www.sommer.at/en/home.html
ee also
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Snow gauge References
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