[wxqc] Rain gauge placement question and who becomes a NWS observer?

[Dave Helms]

Hi Lew,

The NWS 8" diameter "Standard Rain Gauge" (SRG) has a 22" rainfall 
capacity, 2" in the primary tube and 20" in the overflow area:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/iwx/program_areas/coop/8inch.php

With a 23" rainfall, I'm guessing the observer dumped the accumulated 
rain sometime during the day to avoid overflow.

The SRG funnel opening is about 2 feet above the ground. 

Hard to say if the distance to the tree from the SRG is greater than 4 
times the distance from the tree trunk as the tree top AGL from the 
picture alone, but it could be close.

COCORAHS is the program NWS utilizes for manual rainfall measurements 
and CWOP is the program by which NWS receives almost all personal 
weather station rainfall observations.

Regards,

Dave
CW0351

webmaster wrote:

>I was checking out Minnesota's rain measurement program and found 
>that Minnesota set a monthly and day record this past August.
>
>The observer was using a NWS-issued 8" diameter guage that can 
>measure 23" of rain.  Seems that when the guage was getting near full 
>there would be splashing, reducing accuracy?  Either way, his daily 
>total exceeded 23" so he or she must have emptied it at least once 
>during the day.
>
>The picture they show of the gauge makes me thing it is located too 
>near a tree?
>
>http://climate.umn.edu/img/flash_floods/hokah_location.jpg
>
>Also, if you are supposed to be measuring rain at 2' above the 
>ground, wouldn't a 23+" gauge be sitting on the ground?
>
>How is it determine who becomes a NWS observer?
>
>Is anyone else reporting to a state program in addition to CWOP, 
>Wunderground, etc?  Here is a link to Minnesota's program which uses 
>the 4" guage that the CoCoRaHS program uses.
>
>http://climate.umn.edu/HIDENsityEdit/HIDENweb.htm
>
>Lew
>
>
>
>******************************************
>Lew - Weathermaster
>lew at farmingtonweather.com
>Farmington Weather
>www.farmingtonweather.com
>Farmington, Minnesota, USA  
>
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