snow and rain

[daj]

With the snow only round the corner for me (first fall usually end of Sept, mid Oct), can I ask a basic question....

As the snow falls, it will obviously not record on the rain gauge, however as it melts it will start recording on the gauge, yes?

I never got my head round this last year so hopefully someone can give me some guidance on how this works/is recorded.

thanks

[steve]

My understanding is this: It's all supposed to go through the gauge and included as if it were rain. Ideally, you'd have a heated collector. Otherwise, you devise some other method; I know some people scoop the snow out, take it indoors and melt it, and then put it back in the gauge. With a 'standard' rain gauge, this is fine, but of course with a tipping bucket gauge as found in an AWS, this gives false rainfall rate figures. Another method with the same problems attached is to pour a carefully measured amount of warm water into the collector and subtract it from the total. There are probably other methods.

I'm afraid I've never been quite that dedicated, so I've always just left mine to it, which of course completely screws up the figures.

[daj]

thanks -- I doubt I would ever be that dedicated either. Just interested it how it normally works. The other problem I guess would be the tipper freezing; last year it was -17 and not a lot was moving for about two weeks

[steve]

The other problem I guess would be the tipper freezing; last year it was -17 and not a lot was moving for about two weeks

Yes - and your anemometer presumably suffers similarly; I know mine did, in both Wanlockhead and Glenlivet. Not really a problem here.