Articles | Volume 15, issue 10 
            
                
                    
            
            
            https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4975-2021
                    © Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under 
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
                the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4975-2021
                    © Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under 
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
                the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Brief communication: Evaluation of the snow cover detection in the Copernicus High Resolution Snow & Ice Monitoring Service
Zacharie Barrou Dumont
                                            Centre d'Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphère (CESBIO), Université de Toulouse, CNRS/CNES/IRD/INRAE/UPS, Toulouse,
France
                                        
                                    Simon Gascoin
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
                                            
                                    
                                            Centre d'Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphère (CESBIO), Université de Toulouse, CNRS/CNES/IRD/INRAE/UPS, Toulouse,
France
                                        
                                    Olivier Hagolle
                                            Centre d'Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphère (CESBIO), Université de Toulouse, CNRS/CNES/IRD/INRAE/UPS, Toulouse,
France
                                        
                                    Michaël Ablain
                                            Magellium, Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
                                        
                                    Rémi Jugier
                                            Magellium, Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
                                        
                                    Germain Salgues
                                            Magellium, Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
                                        
                                    Florence Marti
                                            Magellium, Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
                                        
                                    Aurore Dupuis
                                            Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), Toulouse, France
                                        
                                    Marie Dumont
                                            Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Université de Toulouse,
Météo-France, CNRS, CNRM, Centre d'Études de la Neige, Grenoble,
France
                                        
                                    Samuel Morin
                                            Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Université de Toulouse,
Météo-France, CNRS, CNRM, Centre d'Études de la Neige, Grenoble,
France
                                        
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                            Cited
19 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Local environmental context drives heterogeneity of early succession dynamics in alpine glacier forefields A. Bayle et al. 10.5194/bg-20-1649-2023
- Snow and Cloud Classification in Historical SPOT Images: An Image Emulation Approach for Training a Deep Learning Model Without Reference Data Z. Barrou Dumont et al. 10.1109/JSTARS.2024.3361838
- Estimation of snow depth in GIS environment from observation points on Z Gali region: A case study of NW Himalaya T. Arumugam et al. 10.1016/j.rineng.2024.101869
- Exploring how Sentinel-1 wet-snow maps can inform fully distributed physically based snowpack models B. Cluzet et al. 10.5194/tc-18-5753-2024
- Hydrological, thermal and chemical influence of an intact rock glacier discharge on mountain stream water F. Bearzot et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162777
- Glacial retreat and climate change: insights from remote sensing technologies M. Jamal et al. 10.1007/s11356-025-36578-y
- Processing of VENµS Images of High Mountains: A Case Study for Cryospheric and Hydro-Climatic Applications in the Everest Region (Nepal) Z. Bessin et al. 10.3390/rs14051098
- Trends in the annual snow melt-out day over the French Alps and Pyrenees from 38 years of high-resolution satellite data (1986–2023) Z. Barrou Dumont et al. 10.5194/tc-19-2407-2025
- Camera traps reveal seasonal variation in activity and occupancy of the Alpine mountain hare Lepus timidus varronis M. Bison et al. 10.1002/wlb3.01186
- Snow observation from space: An approach to improving snow cover detection using four decades of Landsat and Sentinel-2 imageries across Switzerland C. Poussin et al. 10.1016/j.srs.2024.100182
- Advances and prospects in reconstruction approaches for snow cover mapping using polar-orbiting satellites J. Zhang et al. 10.3389/feart.2025.1649808
- Impact of climate change on snow supply in Trojena, Saudi Arabia L. Sourp et al. 10.1088/2515-7620/adfe3f
- Intercomparison of Sentinel-2 and modelled snow cover maps in a high-elevation Alpine catchment F. Hofmeister et al. 10.1016/j.hydroa.2022.100123
- Synthesizing long-term satellite imagery consistent with climate data: Application to daily snow cover F. Zakeri & G. Mariethoz 10.1016/j.rse.2023.113877
- Improved Landsat-based snow cover mapping accuracy using a spatiotemporal NDSI and generalized linear mixed model C. Poussin et al. 10.1016/j.srs.2023.100078
- Snow melt-out date (SMOD) change spanning four decades in European temperate mountains at 30 m from Landsat time series A. Bayle et al. 10.1038/s41597-025-05044-2
- Snowmelt duration controls red algal blooms in the snow of the European Alps L. Roussel et al. 10.1073/pnas.2400362121
- High-Resolution Snow-Covered Area Mapping in Forested Mountain Ecosystems Using PlanetScope Imagery A. John et al. 10.3390/rs14143409
- Permafrost Distribution in the Southern Carpathians, Romania, Derived From Machine Learning Modeling R. Popescu et al. 10.1002/ppp.2232
19 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Local environmental context drives heterogeneity of early succession dynamics in alpine glacier forefields A. Bayle et al. 10.5194/bg-20-1649-2023
- Snow and Cloud Classification in Historical SPOT Images: An Image Emulation Approach for Training a Deep Learning Model Without Reference Data Z. Barrou Dumont et al. 10.1109/JSTARS.2024.3361838
- Estimation of snow depth in GIS environment from observation points on Z Gali region: A case study of NW Himalaya T. Arumugam et al. 10.1016/j.rineng.2024.101869
- Exploring how Sentinel-1 wet-snow maps can inform fully distributed physically based snowpack models B. Cluzet et al. 10.5194/tc-18-5753-2024
- Hydrological, thermal and chemical influence of an intact rock glacier discharge on mountain stream water F. Bearzot et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162777
- Glacial retreat and climate change: insights from remote sensing technologies M. Jamal et al. 10.1007/s11356-025-36578-y
- Processing of VENµS Images of High Mountains: A Case Study for Cryospheric and Hydro-Climatic Applications in the Everest Region (Nepal) Z. Bessin et al. 10.3390/rs14051098
- Trends in the annual snow melt-out day over the French Alps and Pyrenees from 38 years of high-resolution satellite data (1986–2023) Z. Barrou Dumont et al. 10.5194/tc-19-2407-2025
- Camera traps reveal seasonal variation in activity and occupancy of the Alpine mountain hare Lepus timidus varronis M. Bison et al. 10.1002/wlb3.01186
- Snow observation from space: An approach to improving snow cover detection using four decades of Landsat and Sentinel-2 imageries across Switzerland C. Poussin et al. 10.1016/j.srs.2024.100182
- Advances and prospects in reconstruction approaches for snow cover mapping using polar-orbiting satellites J. Zhang et al. 10.3389/feart.2025.1649808
- Impact of climate change on snow supply in Trojena, Saudi Arabia L. Sourp et al. 10.1088/2515-7620/adfe3f
- Intercomparison of Sentinel-2 and modelled snow cover maps in a high-elevation Alpine catchment F. Hofmeister et al. 10.1016/j.hydroa.2022.100123
- Synthesizing long-term satellite imagery consistent with climate data: Application to daily snow cover F. Zakeri & G. Mariethoz 10.1016/j.rse.2023.113877
- Improved Landsat-based snow cover mapping accuracy using a spatiotemporal NDSI and generalized linear mixed model C. Poussin et al. 10.1016/j.srs.2023.100078
- Snow melt-out date (SMOD) change spanning four decades in European temperate mountains at 30 m from Landsat time series A. Bayle et al. 10.1038/s41597-025-05044-2
- Snowmelt duration controls red algal blooms in the snow of the European Alps L. Roussel et al. 10.1073/pnas.2400362121
- High-Resolution Snow-Covered Area Mapping in Forested Mountain Ecosystems Using PlanetScope Imagery A. John et al. 10.3390/rs14143409
- Permafrost Distribution in the Southern Carpathians, Romania, Derived From Machine Learning Modeling R. Popescu et al. 10.1002/ppp.2232
Latest update: 30 Oct 2025
Short summary
            Since 2020, the Copernicus High Resolution Snow & Ice Monitoring Service has distributed snow cover maps at 20 m resolution over Europe in near-real time. These products are derived from the Sentinel-2 Earth observation mission, with a revisit time of 5 d or less (cloud-permitting). Here we show the good accuracy of the snow detection over a wide range of regions in Europe, except in dense forest regions where the snow cover is hidden by the trees.
            Since 2020, the Copernicus High Resolution Snow & Ice Monitoring Service has distributed snow...
            
         
 
                             
                             
             
             
            