Measuring Heavy Rainfall

CoCoRahs (Community Collaborative for Rain, Hail and Snow) is a national network of weather observers just like our members.  Several of us are members of CoCoRahs.  If you’re not a member and can spare 10-15 seconds the morning before or after the Net, think about joining CoCoRaHS.  It’s free.

The link below is a cartoon that goes over the basics of measuring rain but it also has some suggestions for measuring very heavy rainfall, including one hint that I was unaware of!  If the inner cylinder of your raingauge is in place and the rain has overflowed into the outer cylinder you can estimate the amount in the outer gauge by seeing how high it is on the scale of the inner gauge.  Every 0.10 of the water mark on the inner gauge you will have approximately 1.00″ of water in the outer gauge.  Sound confusing?  Watch the cartoon.  If you don’t have a Stratus rain gauge, buy one!  It is the most accurate way of measuring precipitation.  They are available on the CoCoRaHS website for about $31.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3UZgy5R5jY&feature=youtu.be

Phil Bretz, KE2EA, Hornell NY

I received a telephone call yesterday from our old friend, Phil, KE2ea, long-time Net Control for the New England Weather Net on Mondays.  My wife and I had the pleasure of visiting with Phil and his wife back in 2014 on one of our trips to the West.

Phil’s wife passed on earlier this Summer after a serious heart attack.  Phil needed to discontinue his role with the NEWN because they had to move their bed downstairs where Phil’s radio was and his wife needed her sleep and could no longer climb stairs.

Our sympathy goes out to Phil and I encouraged him to think about becoming active again on the NEWN.  I told him that I would work on giving him back his roster number, #11, that he had for many years.

TOM CARR, WA1KDD, ACHUSHNET MA

A drier than normal June here in the northern part of Acushnet with near normal temperatures and a little on the breezy side.  1.44″ of rain fell during the first 7 days of June but most of it being a nuisance with something falling just about every day.   Mother Nature turned up the heat and the pine pollen on the 10th. of June and temps hit 93 deg. on the 12th. and 13th. at my location.   A cool down with unsettled conditions followed.  Some ideal June days during the last third of the month were briefly interrupted by the remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy on the 24th.. Some  0.97″ fell with embedded thunder heard here in Acushnet.  Daylily blooms showing by June 26th. and fireflies sparked by the end of a decent month of June.

June 2017 Acushnet, Mass.      41deg,44min N      70deg, 55min W

Ave High     77.0 deg.  Ave Low     56.6 deg.  June Mean     66.8 deg. is 0.1 deg. below normal  High Temp  93 deg. on June 13 & 14th.  Low Temp  42 deg. on June 8th.  Days 90 or above 2.  Total Precip. 3.00″ is 1.25″ below normal.  Max 24hr. Precip.  0.97″ on June 24th.  Total 2017 Precip.     29.58″ is 3.08″ above normal.  T-Storm Days 2.

High Wind Gust 24 mph on June 30th.  Heating Degree Days 68.  Cooling Degree Days    125.  High Barometer 30.15″ on June 29th.  Low Barometer     29.56″ on June 24th.