We are pleased to announce the publication of a new Essential Climate Variable (ECV) product from the Cryosphere domain, in the Climate Data Store (CDS) on 02 June 2026:
Snow Cover Extent (SCE) provides daily global estimates of snow-covered areas since 1982, derived from NOAA AVHRR, Terra MODIS, and Sentinel-3 SLSTR satellite sensors. Developed for climate monitoring applications, this dataset offers a consistent, long-term observational record of snow distribution across land surfaces. In forested regions, the product includes two thematic variables: (1) Snow Cover Fraction on Ground (SCFG) and (2) Snow Cover Fraction Viewable from Above (SCFV). This distinction improves the ability to monitor snow dynamics under varying land cover conditions and is especially valuable for studies of surface energy balance, albedo-related climate feedbacks, climate trend detection, and model validation.
Please refer to the dataset documentation for in-depth information.
For any enquiries regarding this dataset, please contact us (ECMWF login required).
ECMWF Support