Information on snow stratigraphy is fundamental for snow and avalanche research, operational avalanche forecasting, and backcountry decision-making. While manual snow profiles remain the standard method for characterizing snowpack structure, portable penetrometers offer a more objective and standardized approach. Over the past decades, a range of snow penetrometers has been developed to improve snowpack characterization, with each instrument balancing trade-offs between resolution, portability, robustness, and cost. The SnowScope is the latest addition to this family of instruments: a lightweight, commercially available snow penetrometer designed for routine field use. In this study, we evaluate its performance and potential applications based on measurements collected in snow pits across Europe and North America over two winter seasons. The SnowScope measurements were compared with manual snow profiles, density observations, and co-located measurements from the Snow Micro Pen (SMP), a high-resolution penetrometer primarily used in snow research. We assessed measurement reproducibility, the relationship between penetration force and snow density, and the instrument's ability to resolve snow stratigraphy. User feedback highlighted the instrument's portability and ease of use, although reliability varied between devices and snow conditions. Results from the comparison with other measurement methods indicate that the SnowScope provides repeatable measurements and captures major stratigraphic features observed in manual profiles and SMP data. Penetration force showed a significant relationship with snow density, suggesting potential for estimating snowpack properties directly from the signal. Overall, this study provides an initial evaluation of the SnowScope and highlights both its potential and its limitations. The results contribute to a better understanding of the role lightweight penetrometers may play in future snowpack observations and avalanche applications.
