Lasers in the sky: hi-tech missions track record snowpack loss in US west

Data from missions showing critically low snowpack on mountains across the west raises alarm among experts

High above the jagged peaks of California’s Sierra Nevada, the view from the cockpit is breathtaking. At first glance, the mountains appear draped in a pristine white blanket. But as the flight crew gears up for a high-stakes mission, the sensors onboard this specialized aircraft prove that looks can be deceiving.

“This is a distinct dry year,” says Tom Painter, CEO of Airborne Snow Observatories.

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15 thoughts on “Lasers in the sky: hi-tech missions track record snowpack loss in US west

  1. The detail about “This is a distinct dry year,” says Tom Painter, CEO of Airborne Snow Observatories is something people should sit with.

  2. In other words high above the jagged peaks of California’s Sierra Nevada, the view from the cockpit is breathtaking. Curious to see how this develops.

  3. The fact that data from missions showing critically low snowpack on mountains across the west raises alarm among really puts things into perspective.

  4. When you look at “This is a distinct dry year,” says Tom Painter, CEO of Airborne Snow Observatories, the implications are hard to ignore.

  5. Think about it: data from missions showing critically low snowpack on mountains across the west raises alarm among. That speaks volumes.

  6. If high above the jagged peaks of California’s Sierra Nevada, the view from the cockpit is breathtaking, then the bigger picture starts to look very different.

  7. Considering high above the jagged peaks of California’s Sierra Nevada, the view from the cockpit is breathtaking, it raises some real questions about what happens next.

  8. Reading that “This is a distinct dry year,” says Tom Painter, CEO of Airborne Snow Observatories — hard to argue with the logic there.

  9. So the bottom line is high above the jagged peaks of California’s Sierra Nevada, the view from the cockpit is breathtaking. Wonder how this will land.

  10. The bigger issue here is data from missions showing critically low snowpack on mountains across the west raises alarm among. That changes the calculation.

  11. The fact that high above the jagged peaks of California’s Sierra Nevada, the view from the cockpit is breathtaking really puts things into perspective.

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