What is WetSnow?

WetSnow is a joint project between Norway and Romania aiming to provide satellite derived information regarding the snow wetness (snow liquid water content).

Framework

WetSnow project received financing from the FPCUP initiative (the Framework Partnership Agreement on Copernicus User Uptake). FPCUP is a European Union-funded initiative designed to enhance the user uptake of Copernicus data and products. The project encompasses a total of 219 actions and involves 50 consortium partners from 23 European countries, coordinated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The FPCUP aims to increase the number of Copernicus users and applications derived from Copernicus based on user requirements. This objective includes expanding existing markets and creating new ones, as well as enhancing the competitiveness of European Earth Observation downstream operators.

Consortium

The Romanian National Meteorological Administration (Meteo Romania, lead partner) and the Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA). In Norway, the technical work is carried out by the Norwegian Computing Center (NR) through a subcontract from NOSA.

Logo Meteo Romania Logo NOSA Logo NR

Project objectives and activities

The main objective of this WetSnow was to make optical and multi-sensor algorithms, previously developed for Sentinel-3, fully operational and ready to use by the selected stakeholders. Several sub-objectives were defined at the beginning of the project to achieve the main goal:

  • Full calibration of algorithms using data from 2017-2020;
  • Extensive validation of the algorithms in Norway and Romania;
  • Implementation of an operational processing chain made available for governmental organisations;
  • Provide access to WetSnow products through interactive interfaces and standard web services.

The project started in September 2021 and will be completed by the end of 2023. Algorithm development has mainly taken place at NR, web portal development has mainly taken place at Meteo Romania, field measurements for calibration and validation have taken place in Jotunheimen (Norway) and the Carpathian (Romania). Both countries have implemented the processing chain and portal in their premises. Demonstration and work with the users have taken place in both countries, in addition to general dissemination in all Europe.