Standard Rain Gage

The eight-inch in diameter Standard Rain Gauge (SRG) is the standard in precipitation measurement and has been since the 1800s in the United States. The NovaLynx Standard Rain and snow gauge is a National Weather Service type all-aluminum rain gauge with a total capacity of 20" of rainfall. The gauge has no moving parts. An epoxy laminate measuring stick with English and metric marking is included.

The upper portion of the funnel is cylindrical in shape and is tuned to a fine edge. Rainwater falling into the funnel is delivered into a measuring tube. The ratio of the funnel diameter to that of the tube is 10 to 1, so that 1 inch of rain fills the measuring tube with 10 inches of water. The measuring stick is used to accurately determine (within 0.01") the amount of water in the measuring tube. Any excess water that overflows the measuring tube is captured in the measuring can.

In winter, the funnel and measuring tube are removed so that rain/sleet/snow/hail are collected by the measuring can only. The amount of precipitation is measured by melting the ice and then pouring the water into the measuring tube. The measuring stick is lowered to the botton of the tube, then lifted out to read the depth. This is done as many times as necessary and the measurements are added together.

The NovaLynx eight-inch standard rain gauge can measure up to two inches in the inner chamber referred to as the receiver. The accuracy of the gage is 0.5 percent of full scale whereas the sensitivity is 0.01 inch.

I also use a Stratus four-inch gage for reporting to CoCoRaHS. The NovaLynx eight-inch gage is the official gage used for this site. Both gauges record very similar except during heavy rainfall events the eight-inch gage always records more than the four-inch gage. So I can always tell when we've had heavy rainfall and the longer the duration, the bigger the difference. As of November 2024 I have replaced the Stratus gauge with the TROPO precipitation gauge for reporting to CoCoRaHS.

Cotton Region Shelter

Inside the CRS, a maximum/minimum thermometer set on townsend support can be found, used to record high and low temperatures daily. The accuracy of the maximum and minimum thermometers is ±0.3°F above freezing and is read to the nearest whole degree. Generally, the maximum and minimum thermometers are within a degree of each other.

Many official COOP sites still use the CRS but are slowly being phased out in favor of the more modern Maximum Minimum Temperature System or Shelter, or simply, MMTS. The MMTS is much smaller and contains an electronic sensor connected to a readout display that indicates the temperature. Although these units are good, I still prefer the older CRS with actual thermometers due to the fact that they are tried-and-true. These will far outlast their electronic counterparts and never change, unlike the electronic versions that can introduce subtle inconsistencies in the temperature data. Mercury or liquid in glass (LIG) retain their original calibration, unless the liquid separates or the thermometer gets broken. The LIG does not require a source of electricity. The other benefit of the CRS design is that one has to actually go outside to take the reading. Going outside to check the instruments on a daily basis is the best procedure to ensure everything is functioning properly and no obstructions are interfering with the instruments, such as bugs nesting, which is a bigger problem with the MMTS.

Inside the CRS, a maximum/minimum thermometer set on townsend support can be found, used to record high and low temperatures daily. Accuracy of the maximum and minimum thermometers are ±0.3°F above freezing, and are read to the nearest whole degree. Generally the maximum and minimum thermometers are within a degree of each other.

The data on this site is raw or observed temperature data as recorded daily. Meaning there are no adjustments made to the temperatures. What the thermometer reads is what is recorded. The 24-hour maximum temperature may be higher at times due to the fact that the shelter is located in my backyard near the city. On a hot summer day with full sun, the maximum temperature may be 2 to 3 degrees higher than the official temperatures that are taken in the open on the outskirts of the city. However, the temperature is correct for the location and exposure and is negligible. The observation temperature and minimum temperature will be less affected by the location.

Aneroid Barometer

Used to record air pressure during observation. This is a twin cell barometer with an accuracy of ±1 mb.

Snow Stick

Used to measure snowfall. Generally, I will take four different snow measurements, add them up and divide them by four to get the average snow depth. It is not uncommon to use the measurement stick of the rain gage to take snow measurements.

Snow board

Snow board used to measure new snow on a flat surface. Picture is from stock. Picture coming at a later date.

Automated Weather Station

This is a automated weather station from Peet Bros. Company. I mostly use this instrument to measure wind speed.