News

UPDATES ON 2023 WINTER SNOW DEPTH MEASURING ACTIVITIES

24/07/2023

Snowy Hydro measures and publicly reports snow depth at a number of designated snow courses across the Snowy Mountains in NSW, including Spencers Creek. Our main objective for collecting this data is to make operational decisions regarding the management of inflows to the Snowy Scheme.

With our strong commitment to the safety of our people, the frequency of our measurements has varied in recent years. Safety is always Snowy Hydro’s number one priority and we continue to refine and improve our safety practices regarding access to remote sites.

By being more flexible with how we collect data in remote locations, including the regularity and frequency of obtaining snow depth readings, we reduce the need to send staff to remote locations in poor weather conditions. This agility allows us to schedule this work to occur when conditions are safest.

Advances in technology and our improved processes are also reducing reliance on manual snow depth measurements at frequent intervals. 

Snowy Hydro recognises the value of long-term records and issues of continuity will remain front-of-mind with the implementation of any changes. 

This year, Snowy Hydro commenced monitoring in mid-June. We will continue to take readings on an as-needed basis, when it is safe to do so. This may result in less regular updates than have occurred in the past.


Snowy Hydro will continue updating its website after collecting each manual snow depth reading. The latest information can be found here.

News

SNOWY HYDRO SNOW DEPTH MEASUREMENT 2022

17/06/2022

Snowy Hydro collects snow depth readings at a number of designated snow courses across the Snowy Mountains of NSW as required for operational purposes. Spencer’s Creek snow course is the most recognisable of these locations as it is often cited by nearby ski resorts as a proxy for the ‘natural snow depth’. Deep Creek and Three Mile Dam are also recorded and reported on Snowy Hydro’s website

The information gathered by Snowy Hydro is primarily used as an input into seasonal forecasts for inflow to the Snowy Scheme. With advances in technology and different methodologies employed, the need for manually measured snow depth readings at designated snow courses is in decline, particularly in the early part of the snow season where precipitation is typically adding to the snow pack more so than contributing to inflows.

In parallel, safety is Snowy Hydro’s number one priority. By reducing the frequency of snow depth readings, we reduce the need to send staff to remote locations in poor winter weather conditions. This means we can schedule this work to occur when conditions are safest to do so.

Snowy Hydro commenced monitoring in mid-June 2022. We will take readings on an as-needed basis. This is likely to result in irregular updates, and less frequently than has been observed in the past. Snowy Hydro will continue to update its website after each snow depth reading is collected.