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<br />SECTION 6. - PRECIPITATION GAGES <br /> <br />A total of ni ne Belfort wei ghi ng dual-traverse preci pitat i on gages wer'e operated <br />at four di fferent sites duri ng the 1983-84 wi nter. <br /> <br />~ "-"'- <br />Two gages were located in a cleari ng on the north end of the~Uncompa.hgre Pl~l~,.gY:'> <br />at 9420 feet elevation and 38050105" latitude, 108047132" 10ngffiJde"One of <br />thi s pai r was a 750mm capacity gage whi 1 e the other had a 6 inch capacity. Both <br />had 11.3 inch orifices. In spite of infrequent servicing (about once per month) <br />a complete data record exists from November 1, 1983 through March 31, 1984. <br />However, the 6 inch capacity gage did go off scale twice during the winter. <br />Weekly rotation gears were used on both these gages. <br /> <br />\J~~fTWO similar gages were operated in a clearing near the northwest end of the <br />~~Grand Mesa at 10,120 feet elevation and 39001139" latitude and 108010127" longi- <br />tude from November 1, 1983, through March 31, 1984. Both gages had weekly rota- <br />tion clocks, 6 inch capacity and an 11.3 inch orifice. A good quality data <br />record exi sts throughout the wi nter due to the increased re 1 i abi"li ty of co- <br />located pairs of gages. <br /> <br />~'("'1> Four' gages were located in a clearing about 1.4 km SW of the G.M.O. at an alti- <br />uJe,~l'tudE! of 10,810 feet, latitude 39002109" and longitude 108001148",. Two had an <br />11.3 inch orifice. One of these had a 750mm capacity and weekly rotation gears <br />while the other had a 6 inch capacity and daily gears. An 8 inch orifice, 12 <br />inch capacity gage was operated with weekly gears. This was the smallest ori- <br />fice gage used during the 1983-84 season and the only one subjected to frequent <br />snow bridging or "capping" during large storms. The above three gages were <br />operated from November 1. 1983 through March 31, 1984. The fourth gage at this <br />sitE! was an experimental high resolution gage operated only from February 10 <br />through March 31. It had daily gears and a 17.9 inch orifice (5 times area of 8 <br />inch) reduci ng the capacity to about 2.4 inches. Thi s was the only one of the <br />nine! gages used that did not have an alter-type wind shield. <br /> <br />1t'2..J....The fourth gage site had a single gage with 11.3 inch orifice, 6 inch capacity <br />.' and daily rotation gears. It was located in the nearest clearing to the <br />Skywater radar at an elevation of 10,410 feet, latitude 39002120", longitude <br />108002115". Its period of record is December 6, 1983 through March 31, 1984. <br /> <br />Precipitation gage data are being manually reduced for the entire! period of <br />record with the exception of the experimental 17.9 inch gage whic:h will be exa- <br />mined on a case study basis. The 11.3 inch orifice, 6 inch capac:ity gage will <br />provide most of the standard record for each site (the most relia.ble of the pair <br />will be used at the single site with two such gages). When this "standard gage" <br />has suspect or missing data, the standard record for the site will be ufilled <br />in" by another gage if possible, normally the 750mm capacity gage. It is anti- <br />cipated that precipitation data will be available on magnetic tape by the late <br />summer of 1984. <br /> <br />6-1 <br /> <br />J ,___. <br />