Catch characteristics of precipitation gauges in high winds

Intercomparison of solid precipitation measurement at Barrow, Alaska was carried out to examine the catch characteristics of various precipitation gauges in high-latitude regions with high winds and to evaluate the applicability of the WMO precipitation correction procedures. Five manual precipitation gauges namely Canadian nipher, Hellman, Russian Tretyakov, US 8-inch and Wyoming gauges as well as a double fence intercomparison reference (DFIR) gauge were installed. Data collected in the last three winters indicate that the amount of solid precipitation is characteristically low and the zero catch frequency of the non-shielded gauges is high. Furthermore, the dependency of the daily catch ratios on air temperature was confirmed and the rapid decrease in the daily catch ratios was found to be the result of small snow particles in the cold climate. Overall, results show that it is not appropriate to extrapolate the WMO correction equations for the shielded gauges in high-latitude regions for high wind speeds over 6 m s^-1.