The National Weather Service seeks the help of thousands of volunteers and trained spotters to record snowfall measurements. The proper way to measure snowfall is on a piece of plywood painted white placed away from trees, buildings, and shadows. The plywood is painted white to reflect the majority of the radiation that hits it, making it easier for the snow to accumulate. Blacktop and pavement has a lower albedo and absorbs the majority of the incoming radiation. When it comes time for verification of snowfall totals the measurements between the paved surfaces and the painted plywood could vary by 6″ or more depending on the time of year.

A 3-6″ forecasted snowfall could verify while the paved surfaces only accumulate 1-3″ or worse yet, remain wet. This of course makes it difficult for the snow removal industry to plan accordingly and efficiently. trueWeather Local Weather Alerts (pictured above) forecasts both overall snow, sleet and ice accumulations, as well as paved surface accumulation including first and second-inch snowfall timing and the temperature during the event with each alert being for your specific location(s) and not a broader area.


trueWeather provides 24/7 year-round forecasting, alerting, certification and reporting services for contractors, public works departments, school districts, entertainment venues and more.

trueWeather has a feature-rich weather dashboard tailored to your specific needs and locations – including mobile apps and instant access to our team of meteorologists and much more. Clients trust trueWeather to provide an unbiased and most importantly, accurate, forecast allowing them to plan operations accordingly.

Give us a call at (844) 614-1298 to receive a no-hassle quote, or email us at directsales@truewx.com.