Sea-ice coverage in the Arctic is changing more rapidly than expected. To better understand these changes, more information on ice and snow thickness is required. However, little is known about their spatial distribution and change. Improved snow-thickness information is required for ice thermodynamic models and ice-thickness retrieval from satellite altimetry. In order to refine observations and modeling of the properties of snow on sea ice and to support satellite radar algorithms for the retrieval of snow properties, we have performed a seasonal study of snow and ice properties on Miquelon Lake, a saline lake in Alberta, which serves as a sea-ice analogue. In the winters of 2008/09 and 2009/10, measurements of snow and ice thickness and temperatures were performed at hourly intervals using an autonomous station. Additional snow and ice sampling was conducted every 2–3 weeks to gather data of snow density, stratigraphy and the spatial variability of snow and ice thickness. Airborne measurements of ice thickness and freeboard were performed by means of electromagnetic sounding and laser altimetry to develop advanced algorithms for snow- and ice-thickness retrieval. Results of the seasonal development of snow and ice thickness and properties from the field measurements are compared with changes in X- and C-band backscatter imagery from the TerraSAR and Envisat platforms.