The Forêt Montmorency is a forest area of 66 km² located about 80 km north of Quebec City, within the Canadian boreal shield. Under the responsibility of Université Laval since 1965, this teaching and research forest was, from its inauguration, a high place for the development of meteorological and hydrological sciences. A meteorological reference station has been closely monitored and maintained for more than 50 years. An annual average of 619 mm of solid precipitation was measured, making it one of the Quebec’s weather stations measuring the greatest amount of snow.
In the winter of 2016-2017, there will be 8 automatic precipitation gauges, 7 manual precipitation gauges, 12 devices measuring the thickness of snow on the ground, 3 device measuring the precipitation phase, 1 apparatus measuring snow water equivalent, 1 snow line and several snow pits. There are also more than 20 additional devices measuring meteorological parameters (temperature, wind speed, radiation, etc.). There are also two windshield used as international references for the study of undercatch processes, namely a DFIR and a Bush gauge.
Other Networks to Which This CryoNet Station Belongs
The federal station and the provincial station are directly linked to their respective networks.
Measurement Methods Used
WMO Technical Regulations
Data Information
Are the data quality controlled? yes
How are the data accessible? HTTP (web)
Data availability (may depend on the variable measured): in near real-time, delayed less than one month, delayed less than one year
Publications
None explicitly aiming this issue.
Measurements
The measurements made at Neige-FM are listed in the following tables. (Note: If End Year is blank, measurements are ongoing.)
Cryosphere Measurements
Element
Variable
Start Year
End Year
Frequency
Snow
Snow on the ground (WMO code 0957)
1965
Continuous
Snow
Snow water equivalent
2014
Continuous
Snow
Snowpack profile
2015
Sporadic
Snow
Snowfall depth
2014
Continuous
Snow
Water equivalent of snowfall
1965
Continuous
Snow
Albedo
2015
Continuous
Snow
Temperature
2014
Continuous
Snow
Surface temperature
2014
Continuous
Frozenground
Ground temperature
2014
Continuous
Frozenground
Thickness
2014
Continuous
Frozenground
Distribution (local/regional)
2016
Continuous
Atmosphere Measurements
Element
Variable
Start Year
End Year
Frequency
Met
Air temperature
1965
Continuous
Met
Humidity/vapour pressure
1965
Continuous
Met
Wind speed and direction
1965
Continuous
Met
Air pressure
1965
Continuous
Met
Snowfall
1965
Continuous
Met
Total precipitation
1965
Continuous
Met
Rainfall
1965
Continuous
Radiation
Downwelling shortwave
2003
Radiation
Upwelling shortwave
2014
Radiation
Downwelling longwave
2003
Radiation
Upwelling longwave
2014
Radiation
Sunshine duration
1965
Continuous
Measurement Notes and Other Measurements
Category
Description or List
Hydrology
4 gauges catchments (1,2 to 9,2 km²) since 1965.
Ecology
Possibly the most dense network of permanent and temporary vegetation plots in eastern canadian balsam fir stands.
In the winter of 2016-2017, there will be 8 automatic precipitation gauges, 7 manual precipitation gauges, 12 devices measuring the thickness of snow on the ground, 3 device measuring the precipitation phase, 1 apparatus measuring snow water equivalent, 1 snow line and several snow pits. There are also more than 20 additional devices measuring meteorological parameters (temperature, wind speed, radiation, etc.). There are also two windshield used as international references for the study of undercatch processes, namely a DFIR and a Bush gauge.