Next Page

when pouring the liquid back into it. If the melted water equivalent (including any added warm water) exceeds two inches and cannot fit into the measuring tube all at one time, then empty the full measuring tube and pour the remaining liquid from the large 8-inch outer cylinder into the emptied measuring tube. Then, add and record the water equivalent of the multiple measurements.
     If you added warm water to the gauge to melt the snow, make sure you accurately measure the amount of warm water added before pouring it into the gauge. Then, when you take your liquid measurement, subtract the amount of warm water added from the total liquid measurement to get your final liquid water equivalent of the snowfall.
     As winds increase, gauges collect less and less of the precipitation that actually falls. Generally speaking, the stronger the wind and the drier the snow, the less is captured in the gauge. If you notice that less snow is in the gauge than accumulated on the ground, you should first empty any existing snow from inside the 8-inch cylinder, then use it to take a snow sample, sometimes referred to as "take a core" or "cut a biscuit" from your snow board with the 8-inch overflow can. Melt the biscuit of snow, pour the liquid into the small measuring tube to measure the water equivalent.

Page 13

     Measuring snow via a snowboard works well in areas with little or no wind.  In Maine however, we often deal with wind driven snow...in these cases the illustrated snow measuring method works best.

MEASURING SNOW in WINDY CONDITIONS


     Measuring snow accurately can be difficult, especially when it is windy. Here are guidelines to help you measure the snowfall.

     To measure new snow, measure snow in an area that was clear of snow previous to the start of the current snowfall. You should use a ruler or yard stick and take an average of multiple measurements.  Do not stick the measuring stick too deep into the grass.  Try to get 5 or 6 measurements from various locations and then take the average.  If it is windy, choose an area that is not in a snow drift and is not in a place where the wind has blown the snow so that the ground is bare.  Use good judgment in selecting an area where the snow is least affected by the wind.

Jump to a Page: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22