Description: Manual snow water equivalent measurement has historically been performed with a snow tube. Snow depth is measured by pushing the tube through the snowpack to the ground surface. The end of the snow tube has sharpened cutters that can cut through ice layers. After reaching the bottom of the snow pack, the tube is pulled entirely out of the snow pack and snow core sample remains in the tube. Evidence of the soil can be seen by examining the base of the snow tube. The soil evidence ensures that the tube reached the bottom of the snow pack. After clearing out the soil from the tube, the tube is weighed. Subtracting the known weight of the tube itself from the total weight will result in the snow weight. Snow weight along with snow depth produces a snow water equivalent measurement. Manual snow tube measurements are commonly used as a basis for other measurement techniques though snow tube measurement have been shown to under or over measure by up to 10%
Costs USD Lower: $500
Costs USD Upper: $1,500
Accessories:
Advantages: Can penetrate snow bridges. Used as a reference to automated SWE measurement devices.
Disadvantages: Not an automated measurement
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