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GPS Receiver Noise Can Be Used To Detect Snow Depth
cremeglace writes "Scientists at the University of Colorado at Boulder have found a use for GPS besides finding restaurants or the occasional road-that-doesn't-exist: it can be used to measure snow depth. The new technique, which takes advantage of distortions of the GPS signal after it reflects off the snowpack, may potentially improve weather forecasts by allowing meteorologists to track snowfall patterns. ScienceNOW has the story, which one geophysicist describes as 'a classical case of one person's noise becoming another person's signal.'"
snow joke!
--When it's my time, I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather -- not screaming like all the passengers in his car
There already exists a tool for measuring snow depth. Its called a ruler. There are imperial (yardstick) and metric varieties.
Another useful thing is a shovel, you can dig yourself out, and cut a path to the part of the road that has been plowed.
A cellphone is very useful too, you can call work and tell them you are stuck in a snowdrift and won't be in today. Don't forget to get out of the car before calling though, since in some places its illegal to use a cellphone in a car.
snow news day.
snow how!
Take me where I cannot stand...