Wet weather rain gauges - What is a rain gauge?

When we have heavy storms, or prolonged rainy periods, weather rain gauges let us know how much we got. How beneficial will it be to our farmers? Use a water depth finder.

Precipitation such as rain, hail, snow or other water deposits gets described in terms of vertical depth of water which contacts the ground. We say it in inches or millimetres (25 mm makes one inch).

One of our rain forest animals.

The technology

The first part of one of these rain gauge instruments catches the incoming rain drops and

allows the water to drain. It goes to another part where the measurement is taken. Electronic rain gauges and digital rain gauges offer a display of the rainfall information and wireless rain gauges allow for data transmission by radio wave to a separate base station.

Snowflakes and hail stones don't drain like raindrops. In rainy weather rain gauges collect water effectively, but hail comes down hard and bounces out of the gauge so accurate readings become more challenging. Better to examine the hail on the ground immediately after the storm. You can use a ruler.

The same method can be used for snow, however wind blows snow around easily and makes accurate readings more difficult. Nonetheless, functional snow-gauges are available at many of the same places as rain-gauges.

For home-owners and gardeners, manufacturers make weather instruments in artistic combinations. Such as decorative weather vane rain gauges, a wind and rain gauge combo.

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Do you sell brass rain gauges, acid rain data environment loggers or other weather instruments?
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What do you do with rain gauge data?

Suppose you wanted the water equivalent of a recent snowfall.

Simply divide by 10 for a quick estimate of the depth of water that would be left in one of the weather rain gauges after melting.

For example, if you happen to be fortunate enough to get five inches of snow, when melted it should leave approximately half an inch of water. Technicians measure snow depth on ground by sticking a ruler into it. Do this in several places to get an average.

Weather forecasters and observers also describe precipitation by type (rain, snow, etc). They specify intensity (Light, moderate, heavy), and character (showery, intermittent and continuous). We then hear things on the radio such as light rain showers. Finally, we hear rain accumulation information obtained from weather rain gauges.

Keyword for this page: weather rain gauges

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