We experienced a series of significant snowfalls during a several day period but the total precipitation reading hardly changed at all during the storm. Is there a malfunction?
At some precipitation sites, there is a lag between snowfall and the recording of precipitation. It’s common to gages that are located in exceptionally cold areas where there is a good deal of shade. During significant snowfall events, snow often accumulates in the top of the device. Eventually after temperatures have warmed and/or direct sun warms the device, the frozen precipitation slips into the bucket/basin. It may take several days of warm temperatures or sunny weather before all the buildup has melted. Two nearby gauges recorded widely different amounts of precipitation for the same storm. Precipitation gages are prone to under-measurement of precipitation when it falls as snow and there is much wind. Snow measurements are subject to snow drifting in these same conditions. All of these effects vary from storm to storm and from year to year. Thus, it is common for less precipitation to be measured at a windy, high mountain precipitation gage than at a nearby snow sensor or snow c
