As of 9 p.m. Tuesday, the latest snow totals for the Quad Cities are 9.0″ in Moline and 10.5″ in Davenport!
Do you have that much in your yard? Probably not. Read on to find out what’s up…
Official snow measurements for the Quad Cities are taken in 2 locations by trained weather observers. In fact, the reading for Davenport comes from the National Weather Service office on the North side of town.
So why the difference? These official measurements are taken on what is known as a “snow board.” This is a board that’s about 2 feet by 2 feet and is placed on bare ground. Each time a measurement is taken (once every 6 hours) the board is wiped clean for the next 6 hours. The total is recorded and added to the other measurements that have been taken on that board for that storm. This provides an accurate measurement for how much snow has fallen, but the snow depth can vary greatly from what’s left in the yard next to the board. So it’s a great way to measure how much snow has fallen, but not necessarily reflective of how much snow there is still on the bare ground. In some cases 2 snow boards will be used and one is not wiped clean after each measurement. This board gives a better idea on what the snow depth is throughout the storm.
On a day like today, with “wet” snow falling and temps around 33° all day long, we saw plenty of melting and compacting of the snow. The melting/compacting/settling is not captured as well when the snow board is cleared off every 6 hours!
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