According to my Davis VP there was no precipitation today before 1230z.
From that time it then shows steady moderate rain up to the present time
at a rate of about 1 mm/hr. Of course, what happened is that snow
collected in the funnel this morning while the temperature was below
freezing. It has then steadily melted through the afternoon and is being
measured as ongoing precipitation.

Does anyone know how this problem is dealt with in the automatic weather
stations in the Met Office synoptic network? Is the rain gauge heated so
that snow is melted as it falls? Or do these stations suffer from the
same problem that I have had with mine today?

Norman.
(delete "thisbit" twice to e-mail)
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Norman Lynagh Weather Consultancy
Chalfont St Giles 85m a.s.l.
England