How is an inch of rain measured? Same goes for snow. 5 inches of snow? What’s the width, or height, or shape of this inch?
In: Earth Science
The width and shape can be anything you want.
They have gauges that are a flared funnel but they are calibrated and an inch of water in the scale is not an inch of rainfall
Most rain gauges are just a cylinder with measurements on it
Inches of snow is measured as it falls which is confusing.
If you get one inch of snow every day for 30 days and you go out to measure it you will not have 30 inches of snow because it will compact under its own weight and the snow falling comes down in different consistency.
If you are asking your favorite ski resort how much snow they have they will tell you the accumulation because that’s what you care about in that specific situation
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