M. : Preprint of IKI RAS, 2004. — 21 s. The development and implementation of geoinformation technologies opens up great prospects for reliable and operational analysis of the state of the environment .. Monitoring of snow cover using appropriate data interpretation methods is of great practical importance. Determination of space-time features of the snow cover distribution in conjunction with climatic, hydrological and orographic elements of the natural environment allows, for example, to predict the development of a flood situation, to assess the state of avalanche hazard. Glaciological methods of observation do not always solve this problem, in addition, in many areas these observations are associated with huge technical difficulties and are unsafe, for example, in the places of formation of avalanches. The most applicable methods of monitoring are remote methods of studying the state of snow cover. Among them are studies of snow cover in the microwave range in order to restore the physical characteristics of the snow environment according to its radiophysical parameters.