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MODIS Snow Cover (MOD10A1)

Quick answer: MODIS Snow Cover provides daily global snow extent at 500m resolution from 2000-present using the NDSI method — the standard for snow cover monitoring.

Format HDF / GeoTIFF / WMTS
Coverage Global
Resolution 500m
License Free open access (NASA)
Update Daily and 8-day composites

About this dataset

Daily and 8-day global snow cover at 500m resolution from MODIS Terra and Aqua (2000-present).

MODIS Snow Cover (MOD10A1/MYD10A1) provides daily global snow cover observations at 500m resolution from the Terra (2000-present) and Aqua (2002-present) satellites. The Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) method classifies each pixel as snow, no snow, cloud, or other. 8-day composite products reduce cloud cover interference.

MODIS Snow Cover (MOD10A1): dataset download instructions

Download steps from this dataset’s GeoDataViewer guide. Follow the original provider for current files and access requirements.

Snow cover monitoring Hydrological modeling Climate change research Avalanche risk assessment

How to download

  1. 1 Open NASA Earthdata search.
  2. 2 Search for MOD10A1 (Terra) or MYD10A1 (Aqua).
  3. 3 Select date range and area of interest.
  4. 4 Download the HDF or GeoTIFF files for snow cover analysis.

FAQ

What is the difference between MOD10A1 and MYD10A1?

MOD10A1 is from Terra (morning overpass ~10:30 AM), MYD10A1 is from Aqua (afternoon overpass ~1:30 PM). Using both can improve temporal coverage.

How does MODIS handle cloud cover?

MODIS provides a cloud mask with each snow product. The 8-day composite (MOD10A2) helps reduce cloud interference by selecting the best observation for each pixel.