Shelter thermometer for accurate reading
It’s not uncommon for a home thermometer to register a surprisingly different reading from the temperatures reported by the National Weather Service.
There are literally dozens of microclimates within a 100-mile radius of the Spokane International Airport and weather conditions can vary within each.
Last week, thunderstorms dropped about two-tenths to three-tenths of an inch of rain in the Spokane Valley and Coeur d’Alene areas, while only a trace was measured at the airport. Temperatures can also be influenced by elevations and proximity to a lake or other bodies of water.
In addition to temperatures measured at airports and at automated weather stations, the National Weather Service depends on weather observers in rural areas for reliable weather data. To accurately measure temperatures, the thermometer should be placed on the north side of the building away from direct sunlight. A professional weather shelter is usually the best way to go to ensure accurate readings.
Direct sunshine will affect a thermometer’s reading. But remember, warmth can likewise be radiated by nearby objects such as a shed or even a neighbor’s house. Bank and store temperature signs are often several degrees too warm, especially in the hot summer sun.
In the winter, for example, a thermometer placed too near a door or window will often register as much as 3 to 5 degrees warmer than an instrument installed in a proper shelter on open ground away from any heat source. Even a person’s body heat can cause the mercury to rise a degree or more as one approaches the thermometer.
If you think that your thermometer is off, its accuracy can be easily checked, usually in less than 30 minutes. First, put crushed ice in a Thermos bottle, and, when the ice starts melting, put your thermometer in the bottle. If the thermometer registers within a degree of 32 degrees, it’s fairly accurate. If not, get a new one, or if it’s a digital thermometer, make the adjustment on the console.
Locally, we should continue to see a back-and-forth weather pattern of very warm to hot weather followed by much cooler conditions with occasional showers and isolated thunderstorms, especially late this month or in early September. The heaviest rainfall will be from Spokane Valley eastward into North Idaho.
Overall, the second half of the summer will be warmer than the first 45 days of the season.