Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
What is this tube? Believe it or not, for a hundred years, this humble tube has been one of the most important tools we have for managing water and drought in the Western U.S.
Millions of people living in the U.S. West rely on mountain snow for drinking water. Historically, snow has been a great source of water: It falls during big blizzards in the winter, and then it slowly melts in the spring and summer, when the water is most needed.
In the early 1900s, a professor from Nevada realized that you could measure snow in the winter to predict future droughts in the spring and summer. And to do this, he invented this super useful, low-tech gadget called “The Church Sampler.” This invention allowed water managers to have an early warning before drought hit, and to plan ahead for water usage. It kicked off an entire field of snow science that we still rely on to this day.
Today, Western states are experiencing a severe snow drought. Climate change is warming up our winters, leading to less snow in the mountains — and, consequently, less water in the summer. Snow levels in some parts of the West are currently at 8 percent of normal for this time of year.
That means that the West is currently prepping for a severe drought and fire season, something that's possible to predict thanks to this tube and the field of snow science it pioneered.
Special thanks to University of Nevada Reno Special Collections and University Archives Department for access to their James Church Collection for research and archival photos.
What is this tube? Believe it or not, for a hundred years, this humble tube has been one of the most important tools we have for managing water and drought in the Western U.S.
Millions of people living in the U.S. West rely on mountain snow for drinking water. Historically, snow has been a great source of water: It falls during big blizzards in the winter, and then it slowly melts in the spring and summer, when the water is most needed.
In the early 1900s, a professor from Nevada realized that you could measure snow in the winter to predict future droughts in the spring and summer. And to do this, he invented this super useful, low-tech gadget called “The Church Sampler.” This invention allowed water managers to have an early warning before drought hit, and to plan ahead for water usage. It kicked off an entire field of snow science that we still rely on to this day.
Today, Western states are experiencing a severe snow drought. Climate change is warming up our winters, leading to less snow in the mountains — and, consequently, less water in the summer. Snow levels in some parts of the West are currently at 8 percent of normal for this time of year.
That means that the West is currently prepping for a severe drought and fire season, something that's possible to predict thanks to this tube and the field of snow science it pioneered.
Special thanks to University of Nevada Reno Special Collections and University Archives Department for access to their James Church Collection for research and archival photos.
