The Northeast Snow Survey (NESS) Feasibility Study Interest Holder Engagement Report

The Northeast Snow Survey (NESS) Feasibility Study was launched to address a critical gap in snowpack and weather monitoring across the northeastern United States. Unlike the western U.S., which benefits from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) network, the Northeast lacks a coordinated, automated, real-time snow monitoring system—particularly at higher elevations where snowpack dynamics most strongly influence flooding, water supply, ecosystems, outdoor recreation, and working lands. Funded through the FY2023 federal omnibus bill, the NESS Feasibility Study includes two phases: Phase 1–the content of this report–focused on interest holder engagement and Phase 2–currently underway–focuses on network design. Phase 1 of the NESS Feasibility Study included three primary efforts: (1) extensive interest-holder engagement, (2) a comprehensive regional data inventory (“Data Scan”), and (3) field site visits to existing snow monitoring networks.