Capturing Ice and Snow

As many of you are likely aware, portions of both North and South Carolina are under Winter Storm Watches and Warnings today. These advisories are in preparation for a coastal storm that will develop and clash with cold arctic air starting Tuesday for a significant winter weather event. As we've noted before, recording frozen precipitation is a valuable part of the CoCoRaHS program and we encourage you to keep checking those gauges! CoCoRaHS provides easy to understand information about measuring both freezing rain and snow with your precipitation gauge.

Please note that if you are expecting any type of frozen precipitation in your area, you should remove the funnel and inner measuring tube from your gauge, as this not only allows a more accurate reading of frozen precipitation but it can prevent damage to your gauge. Because frozen precipitation can cause gauges to crack, please make sure to empty out any frozen precipitation once you've completed and submitted your measurements. In the event that you find yourself at home due to weather conditions, consider submitting a condition monitoring report to provide a more detailed account of the local weather in your area. Your observations can help the folks who have to be out in the ice and snow. Stay safe everyone!