Observing Climate - Surface Water (Con’t) Precipitation Rain Gage Hail Pad Snow Board Science Concepts Definition

Observing Climate - Precipitation How would you measure precipitation? What units does the TV weather person report precipitation?

Observing Climate - Precipitation http://www.belfortinstrument.com/products/precipitation/m5-400.html Measurement • Non-recording Rain Gage - Belfort Non-Recording Precipitation Gage - Model 5-400 - Meets National Weather Service specifications Five parts comprise the complete instrument - the receiver, the overflow can, the measuring tube, the measuring stick, and the support. Precipitation caught in the receiver is funneled into the measuring tube. • Non-recording Cylinder Rain Gage - Rain first fills the inner cylinder, graduated in hundredths to 1", then overflows into the outer cylinder. http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/View_Catalog_Page.asp?ID=5477

Observing Climate - Precipitation Measurement (Con’t) • Recording Rain Gages - RainWise RAINEW WIRELESS rain gauge - 8" diameter collector; precipitation fills a bi-stable tipping bucket mechanism, causing the mechanism to tip; each tip of the bucket measures 0.01 of an inch - Belfort Weighing Rain Gage - Series 5-780/5915 - Gage converts the weight of collected precipitation into the equivalent depth of accumulated water in conventional units of inches or millimeters. An 8-inch diameter, knife-edge orifice collects all forms of precipitation. Rain travels through a funnel into the galvanized weighing bucket. Tipping Bucket Counting Contacts http://www.rainwise.com/rain/index.html Recording Mechanism Scale http://www.belfortinstrument.com/products/precipitation/m6071.html

Observing Climate - Precipitation Hail • Hailstones travel up to 80 mph or 128 km/h • Hailstones make dents or craters that can cause serious damage to property and pose potential danger to animals and humans Measurement • Hailpad > 1-in thick Styrofoam pad covered with heavy duty aluminum foil to measure the number and size of hailstones > Count the size and number of dents and relate dent size to actual hailstone size http://epod.usra.edu/archive/ epodviewer.php3?oid=257376

Observing Climate - Precipitation How do we measure snow? • Snowboard - a lightly colored board, a 2 ft by 2 ft plywood painted white works - Locate away from trees, buildings, and shadows - Avoid areas that are known to be prone to drifting; mark location of snowboard with a stake so you can find it after a fresh snowfall • Measure to the nearest tenth inch • Should not be measured more than four times in 24 h - Clean off board when you take each of four daily measurements > Can measure hourly to get rate, but don’t clean off board each hour - When snow ends, add up the measurements from each time the snowboard was cleaned to reach a storm total How do we measure snow? Snow Measurement Guidelines for National Weather Service Snow Spotters http://www.crh.noaa.gov/iwx/program_areas/ snow_spotters/SnowMeasurement.pdf