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February 5 quick hitting obs


Typhoon Tip

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Actually, most weather records were done recording the snowfall after the snow ended until the early 1990s.  Many of us argued exactly what you are saying - it would completely screw up all previous snow amounts.  It's the reason that I continue to do the old method because I would never be able to compare new measurements with old ones.

 

But that's what I mean. If they changed the rule, and climo sites, etc were clearing every 6 hrs for 20 yrs or whatever....it messes those records up again. Just let it be.

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There has to be a time frame put on it... you can't just say when the snow stops.  You could have all different timing issues and settlement problems.

 

Snowfall is essentially a measurement of snowflakes that fall out of the sky (thus elevated white painted board and clear every 6-hours to accurately collect those snowflakes falling from the sky).  Snow depth is what's on the ground. 

i think they are seeing to much inconsistent numbers were say half clear and others dont. not everyone has the chance to clear every 6 hrs. As for the public most see the snowdepth as whats on the ground. i for one have always measured the non clearing way . it just makes everything more consistent

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i think they are seeing to much inconsistent numbers were say half clear and others dont. not everyone has the chance to clear every 6 hrs. As for the public most see the snowdepth as whats on the ground. i for one have always measured the non clearing way . it just makes everything more consistent

 

More consistently wrong though.

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Hard to do that when one's workplace is 30+ miles from home.  I clear at 7 AM for cocorahs and at 9 PM because that's been my obs time since 1976 and I wish to keep consistency.  If I'm home during an extended snowfall, sometimes I'll clear at 2 PM.

 

Had another half hour puff of +SN 2:30-3, then back to moderate with tiny flakes.  Must be approaching 6" in Augusta.

Yeah...it's tough to make volunteers measure every 6hrs when they have jobs and require 8hrs of sleep. It keeps all COOPs on the same standard too.

I think the NWS prefers the 6hr clearings since they have the contracted airport observers doing it. I've been clearing at 6-8hrs since I moved here and have no problem doing it so I'm not changing it now. I think cocorahs still suggests 6hrs too.

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i think they are seeing to much inconsistent numbers were say half clear and others dont. not everyone has the chance to clear every 6 hrs. As for the public most see the snowdepth as whats on the ground. i for one have always measured the non clearing way . it just makes everything more consistent

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Yeah...it's tough to make volunteers measure every 6hrs when they have jobs and require 8hrs of sleep. It keeps all COOPs on the same standard too.

I think the NWS prefers the 6hr clearings since they have the contracted airport observers doing it. I've been clearing at 6-8hrs since I moved here and have no problem doing it so I'm not changing it now. I think cocorahs still suggests 6hrs too.

no mention of it

 

http://cocorahs.org/...ringSnow2.1.pdf

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How do you account for different lengths of storms?  Say 36 hour events or something that stops and starts for like 2 days straight?

 

They get recorded on separate days but a notation is made at the end noting the final total.  For example, I have 2.5" as of 7AM this morning.  The storm total for me was 12.8" so I will record 10.3" for tomorrows 7AM ob but make a note that snow fell from 0300 to 1330 with a total of 12.8".

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Huh?  I don't see that addressed anywhere in that link.

 

This is what it states...they just want you to get it before settling but doesn't really address like long drawn out light snow events. 

 

attachicon.gifSnowMeasuring.jpg

The NWS change was specifically directed to COOPs.

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/coop/reference/Snow_Measurement_Guidelines.pdf

I'm not sure if they encourage it for cocorahs as well, but if they really wanted 24hr clearings they'd have the airports do it too.

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Yeah...it's tough to make volunteers measure every 6hrs when they have jobs and require 8hrs of sleep. It keeps all COOPs on the same standard too.

I think the NWS prefers the 6hr clearings since they have the contracted airport observers doing it. I've been clearing at 6-8hrs since I moved here and have no problem doing it so I'm not changing it now. I think cocorahs still suggests 6hrs too.

 

You can do whatever you need to in order to keep a consistent record.  I've just never understood the 6 hour parameter.  Why not every two hours or every hour? Why not every 8 hours or 12 hours?  If I recall, the argument at the time was to allow for intensity data but in my mind it's totally inaccurate.  If it snows for 10 hours and I have 10" of new snow on my board, most people are going to look at that and say that I had 10" of snow.  Now, if I clear the board at 6 hours and I have 6" but then the snow gets really fluffy and at the end of the storm I have another 6", the arbitrary clearing the board method now says that 12" of snow fell.

 

I recall that one of the first major events that this came up was I believe in 1996 when PHL set a snowfall record and they said that over 30" of snow had fallen but no one had anything near that on the ground so a lot of the media and public called foul but the NWS cited their new measuring guidelines.

 

Like I said, I accept the fact that it became acceptable at some point but I will keep doing it the original way so I can compare my measurement with storms in the 80s, 70s, 60s and beyond without any compensation or asterisk.

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They get recorded on separate days but a notation is made at the end noting the final total.  For example, I have 2.5" as of 7AM this morning.  The storm total for me was 12.8" so I will record 10.3" for tomorrows 7AM ob but make a note that snow fell from 0300 to 1330 with a total of 12.8".

 

Ah, I guess I'm thinking of different types of events.  Like up here (when it used to snow, ha ha) you'll get into a pattern where you have say 2.5" between 7am and 3pm, then nothing from 3pm till midnight, then another 5.5" from midnight till 7am from squalls or something.  Total snowfall for 24 hours is 8.0" but the snow depth on an undisturbed area is 6.5"... do you go with 8" or 6.5"?

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