Welcome to the National Snow and Ice Data Center

Advancing knowledge of Earth's frozen regions since 1976

Stay current with our expert analyses

Sea ice in all types of shapes
Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets
skiers drop in from a cliff in Silverton, Colorado
Analysis - Snow Today
April 3, 2025
Snow-covered area in March across the western United States was 8 percent below average, ranking seventeenth in the 25-year satellite record. Snow cover duration was just above the twenty-fifth percentile. Snow albedo, also known as snow brightness, started low in early March and then oscillated between high, then low, and then high during the month. Snow water equivalent (SWE) relative to average showed little change during the month, despite SWE gains at many stations across the region.

Data, research & analysis updates

In November 2021, snow in South Greenland shrouded the ground when heavy rain fell, forming an ice crust and stranding hundreds of sheep in the rugged terrain. Most perished following this rain-on-snow event. The international Arctic Rain on Snow Study (AROSS), led by the National Snow and Ice Data Center, had not expected to hear similar stories of livestock decline caused by rain on snow events in southern Greenland like they had been hearing about in Alaska, Lapland, and Russia. The event in South Greenland marked an opportunity for AROSS to offer knowledge exchange across different cultures, cultural practices, and environments under an increasingly unpredictable climate.
Snow-covered area in March across the western United States was 8 percent below average, ranking seventeenth in the 25-year satellite record. Snow cover duration was just above the twenty-fifth percentile. Snow albedo, also known as snow brightness, started low in early March and then oscillated between high, then low, and then high during the month. Snow water equivalent (SWE) relative to average showed little change during the month, despite SWE gains at many stations across the region.

Data management programs at NSIDC

A satellite view of Malaspina Glacier in Alaska

NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC)

Open access cryosphere and related geophysical data from NASA Earth-observing satellite missions, airborne campaigns, and field observations.
methane bubbles frozen in lake in Canada

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at NSIDC

A NOAA-funded program providing open access data from satellites, field instruments, weather stations, historical records, and rescued data.
ELOKA_Photo1_5.jpg

Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA): Data Curation for Indigenous Communities

Working with Indigenous communities in the Arctic to preserve and promote their data and knowledge for use in scientific studies.