STEM ACTIVITY
Joint Polar Satellite System
JPSS and Rainfall
It’s Spring!
You may know the saying, “April showers bring May flowers.”
Depending where you live, snow may have already turned to
rain before March 20, the first day of Spring. Throughout Spring,
scientists measure and compare rainfall at different locations.
This rainfall data is important for understanding “April showers”
and measuring the average rainfall from year-to-year. Scientists
also measure how much rain falls and is stored in Earth’s lakes,
rivers, and underground as a part of Earth’s water cycle.
Rain is an important part of the water cycle, providing the main
source of fresh drinking water to all life on Earth, and scientists
want to make sure we are getting enough of it. Earth-observing
satellites like the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) help scientists
measure rainfall all over the world (including hard-to-reach
geographic areas without surface-based radar coverage).
JPSS monitors rain clouds (nimbus) and thunderstorm clouds
(cumulonimbus) as they form and transport Earth’s water from the
atmosphere to the surface. Before it rains, JPSS can measure how
much water is inside a cloud, helping scientists forecast upcoming
rainstorms. During a rainstorm, JPSS can measure how much rain is
falling in millimeters per hour.
Want to measure rainfall?
Make a rain gauge!
Rainfall
is the measurement of rain during a period
of time (usually millimeters per hour).
Updated March 2021
Make a Rain Gauge
You will need
• Container such as a water bottle (to capture falling rain)
• Ruler or tape measure cut along
(to measure the rainfall captured by your container) here
4
• Pen or marker
3
• Scissors or a utility knife, with an adult’s help
2
• Small stones/pebbles (to hold the rain gauge down)
1
• Tape
0 zero line
• A rainy day!
Create your Rain Gauge
1. Cut the top part of your plastic water bottle and remove the cap.
2. Place small stones or pebbles into the bottom of the water bottle.
3. Turn the top part of you bottle upside down and tape it to the top
of your bottle. This helps funnel the rain into your container.
4. Draw a “zero line” using a marker and ruler to mark each inch or
quarter inch along your container.
5. Fill your rain gauge with water up to the “zero line” for an
accurate rain measurement. Compare Rainfall Reports
You can compare and submit
your measurements with the
Measuring Rainfall Community Collaborative
Rain, Hail & Snow Network at
1. Before a rainy day, place your rain gauge in an open area [Link]
outside. Just find your town and follow
the precipitation guide.
2. Use your rain gauge to measure how many inches of rain fell
every hour while it’s still raining. Record the date, time and
You can also share and
rainfall to the nearest quarter inch. compare your rainfall
measurements with friends!
Example: 3/20/2021, interval 1:00pm – 2:00pm, 1 inch
3. Want a more accurate measurement? Create multiple rain
gauges and spread them out in different areas outside.
Take the average of the rainfall from each rain gauge every
Learn more about JPSS at
hour to the nearest quarter inch. i [Link]
jpss-education
JOINT POLAR SATELLITE SYSTEM (JPSS) [Link]/jpss
JPSS is the Nation’s new generation polar-orbiting operational environmental
satellite system. JPSS is a collaborative program between the National
[Link]/[Link]
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its acquisition agent,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). @JPSSProgram
Updated March 2021