[wxqc] wxqc Digest, Vol 38, Issue 6

[webmaster]

Hello Victor,

>It seems to me that whether to record snow/ice melt as precipitation
>depends upon the use that is made of the data. If you want to record
>precipitation events, then, obviously, the data is not valuable,
>unless, perhaps, if an asterisk can be attached to it indicating the
>time is wrong.

I don't think I followed you there.  I want to record snowfall and 
precipitation.  What do you mean about the time being wrong?  I only 
intend to measure the snow fall once a day and the end of the day so 
the amount I am reporting is for the day.  I am not reporting it to 
anyone officially, only for myself.  I don't think my precipitation 
data is used by anyone as I don't think any of the services use the 
precip data?

>On the other hand, if the purpose is to know the moisture available
>for agriculture, for example, it could be more valuable than not
>having it at all.

I do want to know the total precip, whether it is snow, ice, hail, 
sleet, or rain.

>I don't do anything to protect my rain gauge from the winter. A major
>reason, of course, is that we rarely have extended periods that stay
>below freezing here in central Texas. Worst case scenario for a
>typical year is that the precipitation data will be a couple of days
>late. In such a case, it's easy enough to glean this from other data.
>See http://tinyurl.com/ysfcm7 for an example of precipitation data
>that consisted of ice storm melt. We get snowfall so rarely that it's
>usually not worth measuring.

I don't have a heater for my rain guage and haven't covered or 
disconnected it.  Between yesterday and today we got 9.8" of 
snow.  Yesterday my Davis reported .06" of rain and none today, 
meaning it warmed enough to melt some yesterday and didn't warm 
enough to melt any today.

My dad who lives in El Paso said they had a 24" snowfall, or 
something around that amount.  I don't remember more than 8" any time 
I lived there.  He didn't know about taking the funnel out of his 
rain guage in the winter which I suggested to him the other day but I 
don't think he did as he is getting forgetful at 90yo.

Thanks,

Lew

******************************************
Lew - Weathermaster
lew at farmingtonweather.com
Farmington Weather
www.farmingtonweather.com
Farmington, Minnesota, USA