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- Emily Stoll
- Saturday, July 25, 2020
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During this science experiment, WLTX Meteorologist Danielle Miller is focusing on collecting and recording weather data.
Weather Lesson
Observations of temperatures, sky cover and rainfall are all really important when it comes to observing and forecasting weather.
There's a way to join in that practice and measure the amount of rainfall with this at-home rain gauge.
Materials
- a plastic water bottle
- rocks or pebbles
- a sharpie
- a ruler
- some water
Instructions
- First, cut off the top portion of your bottle.
- Next, find a place near the bottom of the bottle with an even circumference that can be your zero line.
- Mark every quarter inch above that zero line with a sharpie.
- You'll then want to fill the bottom of the bottle with rocks and water until you reach that zero line. This ensures you are getting an even and accurate amount of data each time that you use your rain gauge.
- Take the top of your bottle, flip it upside down and put it back on to act as a funnel for the rainfall.
- Lastly, you'll want to make sure to take your rain gauge and put it outside in an open area, so it has all the access it needs to the water falling from the sky.
Danielle Miller is a meteorologist at WLTX-TV in Columbia, SC who provides regular weekend forecasts and digital content during the week. Learn more about Miller and how she got interested in weather by clicking here.