Author Topic: Measuring Hail  (Read 572 times)

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Offline mrweather

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Measuring Hail
« on: March 27, 2018, 01:57:36 PM »
We just had a very brief hail storm.  Maybe a minute or two of light hail and then the sun came back out.  My weather station counted no rainfall what so ever.  Is this normal with hail?  I'm assuming the hail just bounces off the cup and never makes it in?

I'm asking because this is the first moisture we've had since I installed this thing and I'm wondering if it even works now.

Offline SLOweather

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Re: Measuring Hail
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2018, 02:17:06 PM »
Assuming your station tips at 0.01" of rain, "a minute or two" of small hail that, melted, would tip the bucket once would equate to a rain rate of, least case, 0.30 inches per minute, or 18 inches per hour.

Yo probably didn't receive enough hail to equal 0.01" rain equivalent in that short amount of time.

Offline mrweather

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Re: Measuring Hail
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2018, 03:08:55 PM »
Ok that makes more sense actually.  We may get more rain later today so we'll see how it goes.  In general tho, are these things accurate when it comes to hail?  We live in an area where hail is a regular thing.

Offline SLOweather

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Re: Measuring Hail
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2018, 06:46:27 PM »
In general tho, are these things accurate when it comes to hail?  We live in an area where hail is a regular thing.

I don't know that that has ever been discussed. I would say either:

Watch it in the next hail storm and see if you detect any bounce-out, or

Get a Stratus 4" gauge (~$30 + shipping on-line), install it close to the Ambient, and at the same elevation, and remove the funnel and inner tube. Melt the catch after the next storm, measure it with the inner tube, and compare it to the Ambient reading.

And let us know the results. We like that kind of stuff. :)