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Accurately understanding snow accumulations is vital for forecasting water supply and for avalanche control. However, these accumulations can often be vast, and hard to reach. A tool called a “snow pillow” helps. Stainless Steel Pillow Plates Heat Exchangers
Snow pillows were developed in the early 1960s. Designed to sit on a piece of flat ground, most snow pillows are constructed with stainless steel sheets that form an airtight container filled with an antifreeze solution. As snow piles up on the steel plates, it weighs it down, displacing the antifreeze, and a sensor measures that hydrostatic pressure. Essentially, the snow pillow measures the weight of the water in the snowpack.
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