In Tromsø

Eirik Mikal Samuelsen (Norwegian Meteorological Institute) presenting on “Predictions in a field of uncertainty: Making sense of weather forecasts.”

On 21 September, ISOSCAN and UiT – The Arctic University of Norway invited the public to the event “Forecasting Together: Understanding the Movements of Water” at Amtmandens Eftf. in Tromsø. Held in English and Norwegian as part of Forskningsdagene, the event shared results from citizen science campaigns in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Tromsø played a central role in engaging local residents and tourists participating in winter activities.

Costijn Zwart from the University of Bergen introduced the science behind ISOSCAN. He explained how stable water isotopes can be used as tracers in hydrological modelling and how contributions from citizen scientists have improved our ability to model and forecast water systems.

The event also explored how citizen participation, hydrological modelling, and forecasting can be better connected to people’s everyday needs and decisions. Eirik Mikal Samuelsen from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute shared insights into forecast uncertainty and effective communication. He also discussed his experience of presenting weather forecasts informally through his popular Facebook weather blog in the Tromsø area. Continue reading →

Join us in Tromsø: Together on forecasting the movements of water

How do we know where water comes from, where it is today, and where it might be tomorrow?

On 21 September, UiT The Arctic University of Norway and the ISOSCAN research project invite you to an evening seminar in Tromsø about water, hydrological models, and forecasting.

We will follow the journey from a snow sample collected in the landscape to scientific observations, models, and forecasts. Together with ISOSCAN researchers and people working with weather and hydrological forecasting in practice, we will explore how hydrological forecasts are produced, communicated, and used – and what makes us trust or question them.

During the winters of 2025 and 2026, hundreds of citizens, tourists, and outdoor enthusiasts across Norway, Sweden, and Finland collected snow samples with ISOSCAN. At the seminar, we will share some of what we have learned and show how these contributions form part of a larger effort to understand how water moves through the landscape and improve forecasts of future water conditions. Continue reading →

Harald Sodemann giving a presentation before viewing of the documentary

The ISOSCAN project recently premiered a short documentary at the Bjerknes Centre in Bergen. The film highlights the project’s citizen science campaign and shows how public participation can help improve hydrometeorological forecasts.

Project leader Harald Sodemann introduced ISOSCAN and explained the important role of citizen science. During the 2026 campaign, citizens collected and submitted an impressive 326 snow samples for laboratory analysis. These samples give researchers valuable data that would have been difficult to collect through traditional fieldwork alone.

The filmmaker also shared experiences from the production, and the audience learned more about VitenTV, a free and trusted platform for sharing research.

The documentary captures the enthusiasm of the participants and follows the journey from collecting snow to creating new scientific knowledge in the laboratory.

Watch the documentary on VitenTV.

Text and photo: Mandy Kong