How accurate were the weather instruments back then?
– Jeffrey, Centennial Weather-recording instruments in the 19th century, such as precipitation gauges and thermometers, were “darn good, all things considered,” said state climatologist Nolan Doesken. “They took incredible care in establishing weather stations back then and in taking and recording each observation.” Statistics collected then were about as good as they are now, Doesken said. Some manual rain gauges from the 1870s were more accurate than the electronic gauges used today, though automated equipment offers continuous reporting, consistency among recording stations and cost savings by reducing personnel needs, he said. The weather station at Colorado State University in Fort Collins uses instruments and procedures similar to those employed 100 years ago in an effort to provide consistent data on long-term climate changes, Doesken said. Got a question about Denver or Colorado that’s bugging you? E-mail me, the Denver Wacky Questions Examiner, at denvertrivia@aol.com, and I’l
