Explore mountain hydrology, the fourth paradigm, and snow characteristics in this AGU Fall Meeting Nye Lecture. Delve into environmental applications, manual and automated snow measurements, historical temperature representations, and the American River Basin. Examine snow heterogeneity, solar radiation distribution, and orographic effects. Investigate the color of snow, including ice absorption, spectral reflectance, and the impact of dust cover. Learn about data cubes, assimilation techniques, and the challenges of data availability and cycling. Gain insights into the fourth paradigm's role in environmental science and its implications for future research.