The FoxMill Weather Station temperature-compensated soil moisture readings at the 3 and 5 inch levels, 36 and 22 centibars respectively in Buckhall silty clay loam with 3.7% fine gravel/particulates and 3¾ inch mowed dense fescue overcover where the ground sensors are located. Ground temps at the same depths are 59°F and 61°F. Soil moisture education note: Barring a torrential downpour resulting in standing water, the soil moisture levels at 3 & 5 inches in the station’s Buckhall clay will lag rainfall by 12 - 24 hours due to the fescue moisture uptake and slow percolation in the clay soil. Levels at 8 & 16 inches are relatively stable.

A total of 0.20 inch of precipitation recorded in the past seven days since the last Condition Monitoring Report was submitted. Weekly evapotranspiration (ETo) total was 0.38 inch resulting in a 0.18 inch ground moisture deficit.

This morning’s weighted soil-moisture reading puts us just barely into the “Mildly Dry” range as defined by CoCoRaHS. Should slip into the “Near Normal” range Sunday or Monday before a little rain this coming Tuesday according to the modeling. 

October cumulative totals: precip 1.45 inch; ETo 1.16 inch resulting in a monthly ground moisture surfeit of 0.29 inch at FoxMill which correlates nicely (high R^2) with the observed soil moisture readings after accounting for the last precipitation type, weighted rate of fall, amount, duration, surface water runoff, ground temperatures, ETo and the previous 30 day rolling measured data. 

FoxMill Weather Station (VA-PW-13) provides detailed ground moisture information (including evapotranspiration plus multi-depth soil temperature and moisture readings) on a *daily* basis in the CoCoRaHS Daily Precipitation Report ”Observation Notes" section which is updated at 6 a.m. by the duty observer.

Data reported by: observer2 (ampersat) foxmill.us at FoxMill Weather Station, Saturday, 21 October 2017.