Snotel problems
- Thread starter PJ-Hunter
- Start date
50" at tower 12/18 1am
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/nwcc/sntl-datarpt.jsp?site=825&days=7&state=CO
If you haven't, use the "hourly" link.
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/nwcc/sntl-datarpt.jsp?site=825&days=7&state=CO
If you haven't, use the "hourly" link.
Is it snowing up there?
Seems a lot of snotel sites have issues when it snows.
But yeah, i know Paul was havin a go around with them on it last season too.
America's tax $$ hard at ... waste. Its the American way!
I don't bother. Over the years that thing is always wrong. Numbers that aren't even close.
I did get in touch with the guy that administers the snotels last season. He was sympathetic and said he would look into it, but they have a different agenda for the stations. Those stations are used to update snow-pack info and it's used for planning, agricultural purposes, municipal water supplies and the like. They don't need it to work flawlessly on the hour, but they do make sure they don't fail completely. The stations rely on batteries that are charged by solar panels and he said this is the weak link. They go through a lot of batteries because they don't last long in the harsh conditions. Sun doesn't shine for a week, bats discharge completely and are wrecked... They could address the issue with better equipment but it works for their purposes and they aren't going to blow the budget just so we can have hourly updates. Sucks when they go down, but it's really a great service they provide us, when it is of no real benefit to their agenda.
Even when the snow depth goes goofy, the precip gauges will sometimes be working and you can figure it out that way. You can also use surrounding stations to get a good idea of what's happening on Buff. If Dry Lake shows an inch, then chances are Buff got 6" and so on. The Old Battle station in the Sierra Madre of WY (N of hog park) is a pretty good analog for Buff and it rarely goes down. It's 40 or so miles north, but seems they get about the same amounts from storms most of the time. It's usually a little behind Buff, but this year it's a little ahead. In short, no, it's probably not snowing on Buff right now. lol
Even when the snow depth goes goofy, the precip gauges will sometimes be working and you can figure it out that way. You can also use surrounding stations to get a good idea of what's happening on Buff. If Dry Lake shows an inch, then chances are Buff got 6" and so on. The Old Battle station in the Sierra Madre of WY (N of hog park) is a pretty good analog for Buff and it rarely goes down. It's 40 or so miles north, but seems they get about the same amounts from storms most of the time. It's usually a little behind Buff, but this year it's a little ahead. In short, no, it's probably not snowing on Buff right now. lol
