Using Sat imagery for ice and snow

[cpierce]

I know that this isn't quite a fishing report, but it might help some of you out.

For a number of years now I have been using recent satellite images to estimate ice and snow on the mountains and lakes. The real trick is finding a clear day!!
One of the easiest sites to use is the Active Fire maps here:
http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/imagery....sID=130768

As you click on the dates on the calendar you can use the small image on the left to see if it is too cloudy to use that image or not. Once you find the closest day with good clear weather, then I prefer to click on the link for false color. The false color spectrum renders ice and snow as a greenish blue and open water as black.

Once the image you want is loaded on a separate page click on it to enlarge it.

Using these pictures helps me to know if the snow is off of the hills where I like to hike into some high mountain lakes. --- That will be a long way off yet!!!

If it is clear enough it will also allow you to see when the ice comes off of Henrys.

This first picture is in false color and is from today. You should be able to recognize Island Park Res and Henrys. It looks like IP still has some ice, but Henrys is still fully covered.
[inline crefl1_A2011132190225-2011132190744_250m_id-mt-000_721.jpg]

This next image is of Blackfoot Reservoir area. The only clear day I could find was from May 5th, so this is last week. There is a little bit of melting showing up.

[inline crefl2_A2011125203938-2011125204600_250m_id-mt-000_721.jpg]


Good luck all!!
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[SagebrushID]

Nice find. Thanks for sharing.
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[Bmarsh]

cool stuff, thanks for sharing.


if we have some more days like today, henrys will be cleared off for the opener. Rode sleds up to jefferson today, left the flats at 12 and there was lots of snow, no slush, and no open water in the flats. Came back to lakes and 2 feet of water in spots, it melted a good 6 inches of snow down low today.
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[cpierce]

Buggy requested info on getting recent sat images, so I revived this thread.
If you click on the link in it, it will take you to May of 2011, so instead use these links. This is the main site for the fed fire maps.

[url "http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/"]http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/[/url]

On it click on the "Satellite Imagery" on the left side. It will bring up a map of the US. Click on Idaho. That will bring up an image of today or yesterday. There is also a calendar there. If the current image is too cloudy for the area you want click on a previous day's date until you find one that is clearer. Sometimes it can be really hard to find a clear day!!! Once you get the image click on it to enlarge it. I also use the zoom feature on FireFox.

For ice and snow I usually use the false color image which is the second choice above the calendar. It uses different light wavelengths that show ice as a blue green and open water as black.

By looking at the mountain ranges you can estimate when you can hike into mountain lake areas, or when some of the spring high water will be subsiding in an area. Use your best judgement though, and remember that even if the ice and snow has mostly melted, there will still be drifts in the shadows and some small lakes may still have ice.


Hope that this helps.
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[AverysAdventure]

Fun stuff, Thanks!
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[iwantabuggy]

Thanks for reviving that old thread!
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[iwantabuggy]

[quote cpierce] Once you get the image click on it to enlarge it. I also use the zoom feature on FireFox.
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Clicking the image doesn't do anything for me......?
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[cpierce]

Buggy, were you able to open the page of Idaho images?

Did you click on false color image? It should open in a new browser tab. When you go to that tab and the image finishes loading it will be small until you click on it so that it enlarges. Not sure where you are having difficulty.

If you want to, you can also right click on the false or true color icon and save it to your hard drive and use a picture program to open and enlarge it.
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[iwantabuggy]

My mistake was that I was looking to the left for the false color image and I never did see it (because it is to the right).[blush] Duh! I was trying to click on the image where you scroll through the dates and that one won't open bigger..... I got it now. Thanks.
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[cpierce]

Glad it worked for you. If you click on the calendar for last Saturday Apr 21, it was a pretty clear day for most of the state. Easy to see most of the snow levels in the mountains.


http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/imagery....sID=172388
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