What this is?

It seems that Dick had the answer, the thing is a Snow measuring machine.

I was asking. I saw it while camping last week and couldn't figure out what it could be used for, other than chasing away lions or .....

I believe dkwarner is on the right track.

btw, I loved the imaginative responses.

When I was in that Art loving Snow bound country I may have got a few things wrong on that count. I swear I saw about five different sizes of the thing, and a few could have been Art. Yes the answers were fun and thank you so much for asking the question. I Dun Know but its fun sometimes.

Are we now going to see a spate of 'what is this' posts?

I sure hope so!

So the thing I've been drying squirrel pelts on is really a snow measuring device...well I'll be jiggered ( but not as often as when I was younger )

I shall dig out my camera and photograh my old vole sexing jig.

Del

I can't wait to see that. I'll want to build one to take care of those pesky voles in my yard.

Okay! Now that several astute participants have clearly identified this as a snow gauge, which actually measures the amount of water generated from melted snow that accumulates on the cone surface, does anyone have knowledge of how the amount of moisture produced is related to the amount of fallen snow.

Consider that there is light, fluffy snow and wet, heavy snow and probably varying and infinite degrees in between. It seems that light, fluffy snow would contain low moisture but attain a higher depth of accumulation than wet, heavy snow which could have a much higher moisture content for an equal volume of snow.

Consider that there is light, fluffy snow and wet, heavy snow and probably varying and infinite degrees in between. It seems that light, fluffy snow would contain low moisture but attain a higher depth of accumulation than wet, heavy snow which could have a much higher moisture content for an equal volume of snow.

That is precisely why this device is required, because a calibrated post shows how deep the snow is, but very little about the true water content.

Now, how much does human activity, especially Jet plane exhaust, affect the distribution and quality of snow and other precipitation?

So in reality, the device is not a snow guage but in fact, a moisture guage which you already stated in post #48 and I missed.

Thank you for enlightening me.

I recall hearing many years ago that 1 inch of water is equivalent to 1 foot of snow. Perhaps a general rule. Check out the following and you will find that your region will have basic characterisics throughout the snow season. As with most rules nothing is absolute for all areas

http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/almanac/arc2007/alm07feb.htm

http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~insrisg/nature/nw99/snow.html

Sorry,I don't known,who can tell me?

You have got to be joking. Just scroll up a few posts and there are plenty of answers.