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Preventing Weather Delays

Meteorologists Have Invented a New Weather Measuring Device For Airports

December 1, 2003

Meteorologists have developed a new hotplate sensor that can let the airlines know exactly how much precipitation is falling. The device consists of two plates that are warmed by electrical heaters. During a storm the plates measure the rate of rain or snow by how much power is needed to evaporate it from the plates. The sensor then sends that information to a central location for instantaneous data collection.


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Martha J. Heil
mheil@aip.org
American Institute of Physics
Tel: 301-209-3088