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Instructions For Data Entry
Total Rain and Melted Snow
Enter only the amount of rain or melted snow that fell into the rain gauge for the past 24 hours ending at 7:00 A.M. the day of entry. If warm water was added to help melt snow, be sure to subtract that amount.
If there was no precipitation, report 0.00. If some precipitation fell, but the total was less than 0.01 inches, enter T in this blank "field".
New Snow:
This is the depth of the new snow (not its water content) that fell in the last 24 hours. This is measured with a ruler and reported to the nearest one-tenth (0.1") inch.The New Snow is the maximum accumulation of fresh snow during the past dayprior to melting or settling. Since snow melts and settles, you may have to measure during or soon after the snowfall ends since by 7:00 A.M. the depth may be reduced.
If snow fell in the past 24 hours, but you did not measure it, please do not leave it as 0.0". Instead, please enter NA ("not available").
If snow fell in the past 24 hours, but not enough to measure (even if it was just one flake), please enter "T" for Trace.
Total Snow on Ground
This is the total amount of snow (new and old snow combined) on the ground, measured to the nearest 0.5 (1/2) inch. The Total Snow on Ground is reported even on days when no new snow has fallen. If there is snow on the ground but you did not measure the depth, then leave "NA" on the form ("Not Available"). If there is no snow at all on the ground, replace the "NA" on your form with 0.0. If more than half of the ground is bare, please report a "T" for Trace.
Uneven Snow: If the wind has blown and the snow is uneven, or if melting has occurred in some areas but not in others, then please take several measurements. Average your measurements into one value, and enter that value
Details about variations in snow may be added in the "Notes" section.
Melted Value From Core
If you believe your gauge has not caught all of the precipitation that has fallen (or if you're just curious), then you can take a core sample of the new snow that has fallen using your 4 inch diameter rain gauge, on your snowboard. If the amount is less than 0.01 inches, enter T in the field.
Example:
The snow begins to fall in mid-morning. At 3 P.M. the snow stops falling and you measure the depth at 4.2". The sun then comes out and the snow quickly begins to melt and settle. At 7 A.M. the next morning you measure 2.6" of snow on your snowboard. There was little wind with this snow, and your rain gauge has likely caught most of the snow that fell. You melt the contents of the gauge and find 0.41".
What do you report for each entry?
Total Rain and Melted: 0.41" (the melted snow and/or rain)
New Snow: 4.2" (the amount of snow received in the previous 24 hours, prior to melting and settling)
Total Snow on Ground (in inches) 2.5" (assuming bare ground prior to this snow)
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