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Winter and the rain gauge

Discussion specific to Fine Offset and similar rebadged weather stations
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wd40
Posts: 448
Joined: Thu 05 Aug 2010 10:02 pm
Weather Station: WS2080
Operating System: W7
Location: GA, USA
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Winter and the rain gauge

Post by wd40 »

For winter, do y'all do anything to protect the rain gauge from temperatures low enough to freeze any water left in a tipping bucket?

Rarely have snow so that is not a problem

Randy
Gina
Posts: 1885
Joined: Sat 21 Feb 2009 12:41 pm
Weather Station: Nothing working ATM - making one
Operating System: OS X, Linux Mint, Win7 & XP
Location: Devon UK

Re: Winter and the rain gauge

Post by Gina »

I have a thermostatically controlled heater circuit designed and waiting to be built. I hope to get it built and installed before and serious frosts/snow.
Gina

Sorry, no banner - weather station out of action. Hoping to be up and running with a new home-made one soon.
wd40
Posts: 448
Joined: Thu 05 Aug 2010 10:02 pm
Weather Station: WS2080
Operating System: W7
Location: GA, USA
Contact:

Re: Winter and the rain gauge

Post by wd40 »

Gina, it doesn't get that cold here. :D A few days of freezing weather on the average. Knock on wood. I have lemon and orange trees if that gives you an idea.

The bucket from your pictures of the rain gauge insides looks like it has enough side slope to allow the ice to expand and not damage the bucket but I wasn't sure.

Right now the drought everyone thought was over is getting worse.

Randy
Gina
Posts: 1885
Joined: Sat 21 Feb 2009 12:41 pm
Weather Station: Nothing working ATM - making one
Operating System: OS X, Linux Mint, Win7 & XP
Location: Devon UK

Re: Winter and the rain gauge

Post by Gina »

No, I don't think ice would damage the buckets. Last winter was unusually bad here - the main concern I have is to melt snow in the catchment funnel. If I make up a heater we probably won't get any snow :lol:
Gina

Sorry, no banner - weather station out of action. Hoping to be up and running with a new home-made one soon.
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daj
Posts: 2041
Joined: Tue 29 Jul 2008 8:00 pm
Weather Station: WH1081
Operating System: Pi & MX
Location: SW Scotland
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Re: Winter and the rain gauge

Post by daj »

wd40 wrote:For winter, do y'all do anything to protect the rain gauge from temperatures low enough to freeze any water left in a tipping bucket?
Last year was a really bad winter for me -- Temperatures as low as -17C and very deep snow. I did nothing with my rain gauge (doubt I could have done much anyway) and it survived. Same the year before

I could not even find my rain gauge at one point !

See a earlier post for a pic.....https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.p ... 87&p=22354
:lol:
David
kippfordweather.uk
Cumulus MX & Raspberry Pi
wd40
Posts: 448
Joined: Thu 05 Aug 2010 10:02 pm
Weather Station: WS2080
Operating System: W7
Location: GA, USA
Contact:

Re: Winter and the rain gauge

Post by wd40 »

David, :shock: I have not seen that much snow in total for my whole life of 60 plus years.

We had snow last year for an evening. I can't remember when it snowed before that.

Thanks to you both. I want worry about it then.

Randy
Charlie
Posts: 363
Joined: Thu 04 Feb 2010 12:22 pm
Weather Station: 1wire-Cumulus & Fine Offset
Operating System: Windows 7
Location: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

Re: Winter and the rain gauge

Post by Charlie »

wd40 wrote:David, :shock: I have not seen that much snow in total for my whole life of 60 plus years.

We had snow last year for an evening. I can't remember when it snowed before that.

Thanks to you both. I want worry about it then.

Randy
Come visit us in Canada if you'd like to see snow. I do not live in an area known for massive snowfalls, but we average 93 inches per winter since they started keeping records here. Winter 2007-2008 we received 169 inches. At least it's good exercise digging to find your vehicle.

Temperatures are fun too - I've recorded a winter's night at -37C, and a summer's afternoon at +42C.

Why do I live here again?
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