Snow depth is the most basic snow cover measurement parameter and likely the earliest to be measured. At meteorological stations, newly fallen snow is measured daily using a snow board, which is cleared on a daily basis and reported as ‘snowfall’. Snow depth accumulated on the ground is measured in a variety of ways (Table 3). Graduated markers or stakes placed vertically in the ground surface can be read from a distance using binoculars or photography. Aerial markers provide a simple means of measuring snow depth from aircraft. A portable snow depth probe (MagnaProbe) fitted with a GPS and data logger was developed in the late 1990s (Sturm & Holmgren 1999).