Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
When you hear snow day, do you think sledding? For our scientists, a snow day can be the perfect day for work! (And sledding…) In fact, a snow day is crucial for our researchers who gather data from the icy parts of our planet.
Catch up with a few scientists who study the snowflakes, freshwater content of snow, and health of polar ice sheets. Our scientists are no flakes – braving mesas & tundra, on foot, ski, snowmobile and more for campaigns like SnowEx, the 88-South Antarctic Traverse & Operation IceBridge.
Video description:
Text: “What do scientists do on a snow day?” A woman in snow.
Text: “Sleep in.” A tent on an ice sheet. Wind blows the tent. Text: “88-South Antarctic Traverse,” “ICESat-2 ground validation.”
Scientists in cold gear. Text: “Go for a hike,” “Operation IceBridge, Greenland.” Two scientists with snow instruments. Text: “ICESat-2 ground validation, Antarctica.”
A person on a snowmobile. Text: “Go for a ride,” “SnowEx 2020, Grand Mesa, Colorado.” A person on a snowmobile with a metal instrument hangs on one side.
A scientist bores ice holes. Text: “Really dig the elements,” “ICESat-2 ground validation, Antarctica.” A person digs a snow pit. Text reads “GROVER ice sheet campaign, Greenland.”
A person runs a scientific drone. Text: “Play with toys,” “SnowEx 2021, Moccasin, Montana.” A person launches a glider on ice. Text: “Sea level rise study, Greenland.”
A large red vehicle on ice. The same vehicle at a distance tows a sled train. Text: “Enjoy a sleigh ride,” “88-South Antarctic Traverse, ICESat-2 ground validation.”
A woman writes observations. Text: “Do some journaling,” “SnowEx 2021, Moccasin, Montana.” A woman records observations. Text: “SnowEx 2020, Grand Mesa, Colorado.”
Text: “Go sledding,” “88-South Antarctic Traverse, ICESat-2 ground validation.” A toboggan on a sledding hill. As the sled crests the hill, the last person flips into the air.
Text: “Do some self-reflecting,” “88-South Antarctic Traverse, ICESat-2 ground validation.” A man in the mirror of a snow vehicle. A scientist talks as snowflakes fall. Text: “GPM Cold Season Precipitation Experiment, Ontario, Canada.” The same snow by a research structure.
Music: It Is Snowing from Universal Production Music
Video credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer: Ryan Fitzgibbons [eMITS]
If you liked this video, subscribe to the NASA Goddard YouTube channel: youtube.com/NASAExplorer
Follow NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
· Instagram instagram.com/nasagoddard
· Twitter twitter.com/NASAGoddard
· Facebook: facebook.com/NASAGoddard
· Flickr flickr.com/photos/gsfc
When you hear snow day, do you think sledding? For our scientists, a snow day can be the perfect day for work! (And sledding…) In fact, a snow day is crucial for our researchers who gather data from the icy parts of our planet.
Catch up with a few scientists who study the snowflakes, freshwater content of snow, and health of polar ice sheets. Our scientists are no flakes – braving mesas & tundra, on foot, ski, snowmobile and more for campaigns like SnowEx, the 88-South Antarctic Traverse & Operation IceBridge.
Video description:
Text: “What do scientists do on a snow day?” A woman in snow.
Text: “Sleep in.” A tent on an ice sheet. Wind blows the tent. Text: “88-South Antarctic Traverse,” “ICESat-2 ground validation.”
Scientists in cold gear. Text: “Go for a hike,” “Operation IceBridge, Greenland.” Two scientists with snow instruments. Text: “ICESat-2 ground validation, Antarctica.”
A person on a snowmobile. Text: “Go for a ride,” “SnowEx 2020, Grand Mesa, Colorado.” A person on a snowmobile with a metal instrument hangs on one side.
A scientist bores ice holes. Text: “Really dig the elements,” “ICESat-2 ground validation, Antarctica.” A person digs a snow pit. Text reads “GROVER ice sheet campaign, Greenland.”
A person runs a scientific drone. Text: “Play with toys,” “SnowEx 2021, Moccasin, Montana.” A person launches a glider on ice. Text: “Sea level rise study, Greenland.”
A large red vehicle on ice. The same vehicle at a distance tows a sled train. Text: “Enjoy a sleigh ride,” “88-South Antarctic Traverse, ICESat-2 ground validation.”
A woman writes observations. Text: “Do some journaling,” “SnowEx 2021, Moccasin, Montana.” A woman records observations. Text: “SnowEx 2020, Grand Mesa, Colorado.”
Text: “Go sledding,” “88-South Antarctic Traverse, ICESat-2 ground validation.” A toboggan on a sledding hill. As the sled crests the hill, the last person flips into the air.
Text: “Do some self-reflecting,” “88-South Antarctic Traverse, ICESat-2 ground validation.” A man in the mirror of a snow vehicle. A scientist talks as snowflakes fall. Text: “GPM Cold Season Precipitation Experiment, Ontario, Canada.” The same snow by a research structure.
Music: It Is Snowing from Universal Production Music
Video credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer: Ryan Fitzgibbons [eMITS]
If you liked this video, subscribe to the NASA Goddard YouTube channel: youtube.com/NASAExplorer
Follow NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
· Instagram instagram.com/nasagoddard
· Twitter twitter.com/NASAGoddard
· Facebook: facebook.com/NASAGoddard
· Flickr flickr.com/photos/gsfc
