BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Measure Snow

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Measuring snow is important if you want to determine the amount of precipitation that has fallen in a given storm. It can also be useful when determining how safe it is to travel outside after there has been a large snowstorm.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Pipe
Yardstick

Step1

Place a 4-inch wide pipe in the ground. Make sure that it is at a 90-degree angle to the ground by ensuring it faces straight up. You need the mouth of the pipe to be big enough that it doesn't block any snow that is blowing about, but it shouldn't be so wide that it collects snow from a larger area and directs it to one spot.

Step2

Get a yardstick. Use one that measures in inches, and is able to measure in tenths of inches if you want to get a more accurate reading.

Step3

Go to the pipe that you've put in the ground. You may find that there is some snow buildup on the edges of the pipe. You might wonder if this snow should go into the pole or not. One objective way to deal with this is to lay a book flat on top of it. Whatever snow goes into the pipe can be measured as snowfall in the pipe.

Step4

Stick the yardstick into the pole until it touches the ground. Be certain that it is in all of the way.

Step5

Read the number that the snow is at. This gives you the amount of inches of snow that has fallen into the pipe and gives you a good estimate of the snowfall in the area.

Tips & Warnings

To find out how much accumulation you are getting over time, measure the snow at regular intervals and subtract the first number from the second.
Be careful when you go out to the pole. Put it in a place that is not too slippery.