John Wheeler: Measuring snow is almost as hard as forecasting snow

FARGO — Forecasting how much snow will accumulate around a region is always one of the more challenging aspects of weather forecasting. The amount of precipitation that falls from the sky is only a part of the problem. Forecasters also have to consider how densely it will accumulate on the ground. An accumulation of fresh snow has more air in it than ice, so different sizes and shapes of snowflakes will settle on the ground with varying amounts of air in between the crystals. If the air or the ground is above freezing, then melting must also be estimated.

Blowing and drifting snow makes all of this many times harder. Snow depths in driveways or on backyard decks are usually very poor places to judge snow depth because of additional snow that has blown off the roof. Trained snow observers know to measure snow in areas far away from houses and will take many different measurements to ensure a good estimate.

John Wheeler is Chief Meteorologist for WDAY, a position he has had since May of 1985. Wheeler grew up in the South, in Louisiana and Alabama, and cites his family’s move to the Midwest as important to developing his fascination with weather and climate. Wheeler lived in Wisconsin and Iowa as a teenager. He attended Iowa State University and achieved a B.S. degree in Meteorology in 1984. Wheeler worked about a year at WOI-TV in central Iowa before moving to Fargo and WDAY..