KENTUCKY (WKYT) - Kentucky rain gauges were put to good use Tuesday, but one viewer had a question about how meteorologists can be so precise with their measurements.

For today’s Good Question, Karl asks: How do you measure rainfall to one-hundredth of an inch? That is the thickness of about 2 sheets of paper.”

To measure rainfall with that accuracy, you need a decent rain gauge. You can buy a simple rain gauge with a tube for $10 online, but if you want to get very accurate readings, you’ll need to spend a little more money.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather observer network uses manual rain gauges with an 8-inch diameter opening. It funnels the rain into a long tube and essentially magnifies it.

The tube is 20 inches long but only holds two inches worth of

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