Oregon Hikers

I saw this near the Cloud Cap Inn along the road between the inn and the Tilly Jane guard station. What is it? And what is the function of those hanging panels that ring the top?

I can't answer what the hanging panels are, but it is a rain gauge typically used for snotel sites. Here is a link describing a similar one:

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/a-A ... _248344779

maybe it keeps the wind from blowing snow in from the side. You only want to measure snow that falls vertically. You don't want drifts inside the device

I've looked at that one between Tilly Jane and Cloud Cap, I probably have a picture of it somewhere

Now that you know what it is, you'll start seeing them everywhere.

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=27812&view=unread#unread

Thanks for the confirmation. Google confirms it's a SNOTEL precipitation gauge. More googling took me to the most excellent DIY Santiam Pass Ski Patrol weather site. It speculates about the hanging weather vanes:

"To reduce wind effects, a "calming device" of hanging vanes surrounds the collection funnel. It helps somewhat to reduce horizontal wind velocity, but is primarily intended to reduce updrafts. Since the collection funnel is many feet above ground level, wind currents not present at the ground might otherwise tend to blow lighter precipitation (e.g. snow) past the sensor."

What is obviously missing is the myriad of other SNOTEL components (antenna, other gauges, power source). That's another mystery.

Had to pull it from google's cache, but this is a good page describing the other components:

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/ ... clnk&gl=us

Wind Screen.

https://www.campbellsci.com/windscreen260-953