Vantage Pro 2

[Osbourne One-Nil]

Does anyone else have the problem of false readings of precipitation on frosty days? I've been noticing recently that when we have a frosty night, the following day when temperatures rise above freezing again, my rain gauge registers 0.2mm of rain, presumably from the thawed frost in the rain collector. I know it's a minor problem, but it does mean I have to keep a careful record of what were truly days with rain, and it's annoying.

Any ideas how to solve this? Perhaps I could move the gauge indoors?

[Hemlock]

Drilling a hole in the bottom of the collector could be the answer to your problems.

[Osbourne One-Nil]

Or perhaps covering the top of it in cling film so it doesn't get wet in the first place?

[PhilipEden]

Does anyone else have the problem of false readings of precipitation on frosty days? I've been noticing recently that when we have a frosty night, the following day when temperatures rise above freezing again, my rain gauge registers 0.2mm of rain, presumably from the thawed frost in the rain collector. I know it's a minor problem, but it does mean I have to keep a careful record of what were truly days with rain, and it's annoying.

Any ideas how to solve this? Perhaps I could move the gauge indoors?

Actually, to be serious for a moment, hoar frost along with dew and fog drip, is a form of precipitation. Historically, therefore, it has never been excluded in monthly rainfall totals. In the old days of manuscript observations the figure would be entered in brackets and followed with a subscript x for frost, w for dew, and fe for wet fog ... eg (0.2)x (except I can't do a subscript).

In the exceptionally dry February of 1891 there were several stations which recorded 2mm or less during the month, entirely consisting of aggregates of frost and dew.

Philip

[Osbourne One-Nil]

Oh right....thanks Philip. Perhaps I should be impressed that the VP2 is good enough to register this? That's the thing with me...I always come across as a bit grumpy (like earlier today when I was compared to Hitler in a private message) whilst I should actually try to be more positive.

[johnholmes]

spot on Philip, beat me too it.

I'm about to answer your pm Dad!!

John

[Cloudburst]

I always thought that prep was anything that fell from a cloud, whereas i would have thought that dew or frost forms on surfaces and does not fall??

Wikipedia

In meteorology, precipitation is any kind of water that falls from the sky as part of the weather. This includes snow, rain, sleet, freezing rain, hail, and virga. Precipitation is a major part of the hydrologic cycle, and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the planet. Precipitation is generated in clouds, which reach a point of saturation; at this point larger and larger droplets (or pieces of ice) form, which then fall to the earth under gravity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precipitation_(meteorology)

[johnholmes]

CB

the post by Philip is spot on.

[Osbourne One-Nil]

Actually, my VP2 is starting to annoy me now. Not only have I had to spend an additional £150 to get accurate readings from it (because Davis say it was a problem with MY wiring at home) but now I've had to climb 40ft up a ladder (and I'm bad with heights) to shake the anemometer because the reed switch in it had stuck.

It's a great bit of kit, but for the price, I do expect perfection.

[John Cox]

Actually, my VP2 is starting to annoy me now. Not only have I had to spend an additional £150 to get accurate readings from it (because Davis say it was a problem with MY wiring at home) but now I've had to climb 40ft up a ladder (and I'm bad with heights) to shake the anemometer because the reed switch in it had stuck.

It's a great bit of kit, but for the price, I do expect perfection.

You can have a loan of mine OON

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[Cloudburst]

After the pobs you have OON i am almost glad i didnt get a V/P. :lol: