Use of EO data to calculate severe weather thresholds

JNCC Support Co awarded Oxidian Ltd a contract worth £20,160 in April 2026 to develop an improved approach using Earth Observation data to assess whether ground is frozen or has snow cover, replacing the Met Office weather station data that previously supported the Severe Weather Scheme. The project involves reviewing available EO and public data sources, evaluating their accuracy and consistency for detecting frozen or snow-covered conditions across England, Wales, and Scotland, and providing JNCC with evidence that the proposed method is robust and effective for informing statutory shooting suspensions during severe weather periods.