Winter Climate Records (Temperature, Precipitation, Snowfall)

Snow precipitation is measured with a known quantity of antifreeze placed in a ETI weighing gauge with a Campbell datalogger and a Belfort weighing gauge with a weekly chart. That was the official gauge until the installation of a new official type, an ETI weighing gauge with a Campbell datalogger, in May of 2009. Data from the new instrument are available here: http://nadp.isws.illinois.edu/precip/ where the UMBS Site ID is MI09. Sampling frequency is the same for everyone in the country - once a week, changed on a Tuesday morning. The Resident Biologist still runs both gauges.

Snowfall and snowpack are measured near the University of Michigan Biological Station's acid rain collector, which is located on the UV Field. Snowpack is measured with a permanent snow stake in the ground, with a meter stick attached to it such that the amount of snow on the ground can be seen. Snowfall is done with a 1 square foot platform with meter stick attached. Each is checked each morning at 0800. The snowfall platform is then brushed off and set on top of the snowpack again.