Do Non-Gardeners Need A Rain Gauge?

Rain gauges and gardens tend to go together. Gardeners use them to keep track of rainfall and make better watering decisions. But you certainly don't need to be a gardener to enjoy having a rain gauge.

Plenty of people simply like knowing how much rain fell where they live.

It’s one of those things you may not think much about until you have one. Then a big storm comes through overnight and you find yourself checking the gauge in the morning. Was that really as much rain as it sounded like? Did we get half an inch, an inch or two inches?

We sell rain gauges to gardeners, of course, but also to weather watchers, schools, families, people who live in condos, and retirement and assisted living communities. You don't have to do anything with the information. Sometimes it's just interesting to know.

Why Have a Rain Gauge If You Don't Garden?

The simplest reason is curiosity.

Weather forecasts tell us when it might rain, and weather apps can provide rainfall information or estimates for an area. A rain gauge lets you see how much rain actually fell at your location.

That can be more interesting than you might expect. A summer thunderstorm can soak one neighborhood while barely touching another a few miles away. A storm that sounded tremendous overnight may have produced surprisingly little rain, while a quiet all-day rainfall can add up to much more than you expected.

Once you start measuring rainfall yourself, you tend to notice these things.

Rain Gauges Are Fun for Weather Watchers

You don't have to turn rainfall tracking into a serious weather project. Some people record every storm and keep monthly or yearly rainfall totals. Others simply look at the gauge after it rains and then empty it.

If you're someone who watches a thunderstorm roll in, checks the radar when a storm is approaching, follows snowfall totals or simply pays attention to what's happening outside, a rain gauge gives you one more piece of local weather information to follow.

You may find yourself comparing one storm with another or asking a friend or family member a few miles away how much rain they got. Over time, you might notice particularly wet or dry stretches or start comparing rainfall from one year to the next.

If you enjoy keeping records, you can take it a step further and keep your own rainfall log. But there's no need to turn it into a project. For many people, checking the gauge after a good storm is the entire hobby.

It's an easy hobby because there isn't much to it. The rain does most of the work.

Do You Need a Yard for a Rain Gauge?

Not necessarily. You do need a suitable outdoor location where rain can reach the gauge without being blocked or redirected by a roof, overhang, tree or other obstruction, but you don't need a large property.

Rain gauges can work at houses, townhouses, condos, schools, retirement communities and other properties where there is an appropriate place to put one.

A deck, patio or other outdoor area may work well depending on its exposure and the type of rain gauge. If you're not sure where yours should go, our guide to where to place a rain gauge for accurate readings covers the basics.

What Kind of Rain Gauge Works If You Don't Have a Garden?

Not having a garden—or even a lawn—doesn't necessarily mean you don't have a place for a rain gauge. The important thing is finding a location that receives unobstructed rainfall.

A traditional stake-style rain gauge works well if you have a suitable spot in the ground, but there are other options. Our rain gauges, for example, are available with a deck clamp, a fence or post mount, and a tabletop holder, so you don't necessarily need a lawn or garden bed.

That can make a rain gauge practical for a deck, patio, porch railing or other small outdoor space. It's one reason we hear from customers in condos, townhouses and retirement communities.

Visibility can matter, too. With our floating rain gauge, the blue measuring tube rises as rain fills the copper collector. You don't have to peer down into a narrow tube to find a water line; the amount of rainfall is shown by the position of the tube. For someone who simply wants to look outside after a storm and see how much rain fell, that's part of the fun.

Check out our collections of very cool copper rain gauges here.

Rain Gauges for Schools and Kids

A rain gauge is a simple way to turn weather into something children can actually observe and measure.

Instead of only talking about precipitation, students can check how much rain fell, record the amount and compare it with previous storms. A class can keep a weekly or monthly rainfall chart, calculate monthly totals, compare measurements with weather reports or use rainfall as a starting point for lessons about weather, the water cycle, plants and the environment.

At home, kids can do the same thing on a smaller scale. They can guess how much rain a storm will produce, check the gauge afterward and keep their own rainfall record.

There's no complicated equipment involved, and every new storm provides something new to measure.

Rain Gauges in Retirement and Assisted Living Communities

We've also found that rain gauges are popular with people in retirement and assisted living communities.

They provide something interesting to check after a storm and an easy way to follow local weather. Residents can compare rainfall from one storm to another, keep a simple record or just see how much rain fell overnight.

A rain gauge can also become a small shared point of interest. After a heavy rain, there's an actual number to compare with what everyone thought they heard or saw outside.

And because measuring rainfall doesn't require gardening, it's an activity that can appeal to people who simply enjoy weather and keeping track of what's happening outdoors. For families looking for a gift for a parent, grandparent or other weather watcher, a rain gauge is also one of several weather gifts that can make following the weather more fun.

Why Doesn't My Rain Gauge Match My Weather App?

This is one of the things that makes measuring your own rainfall interesting.

The rainfall reported by a weather app may be based on nearby weather stations, radar estimates or other weather data. Your rain gauge measures the rain collected at one specific location.

Rainfall isn't always evenly distributed, particularly during scattered showers and thunderstorms. Your friend across town may really have received considerably more—or less—rain than you did.

That's one reason a rain gauge can be interesting even if you check a weather app every day. The app gives you information about your area. Your rain gauge tells you what happened right where you put it.

If you've ever wondered why the numbers are different, we explain it in more detail in Why Your Rain Gauge Doesn't Match Your Weather App.

Is a Rain Gauge a Good Gift for a Non-Gardener?

It can be a surprisingly good one. Gardeners are obvious rain gauge recipients, but weather watchers, teachers, parents, grandparents and people who enjoy spending time outdoors may appreciate one just as much. A rain gauge can also make an unusual housewarming, retirement or holiday gift.

It's especially good for someone who is difficult to shop for because it's useful without being something everyone already owns. And unlike plenty of gifts, it gives the recipient something new to check every time it rains. If you're shopping for someone who enjoys storms, forecasts and keeping track of what's happening outside, we've put together more ideas in our Best Weather Gifts for Weather Lovers guide.

You may even create a new hobby.

What Can You Do With a Rain Gauge?

Even if you never water a plant, you can use a rain gauge to:

• Find out how much rain actually fell where you live
• Compare one storm with another
• Keep daily, monthly or yearly rainfall records
• Compare rainfall totals with friends or family who live nearby
• Notice unusually wet or dry periods
• Teach children about weather and measurement
• Add a hands-on weather activity at a school or community center
• Follow your local weather a little more closely
• Finally answer the question everyone asks after a big storm: "How much rain did we get?"

And if you do have a lawn, a few containers, trees or landscaping, the same rainfall measurement can help you make better watering decisions.

So, Do Non-Gardeners Need a Rain Gauge?

Need one? Probably not. But you don't have to need a rain gauge to enjoy having one.

For gardeners, measuring rainfall has an obvious practical purpose. For everyone else, it can simply be a fun way to follow the weather and learn a little more about what is happening right outside your door.

You don't need a vegetable garden. You don't need acres of land. You don't need to become an amateur meteorologist.

You just need to occasionally wonder, "How much rain did we get?"

Ready to Measure the Rain at Your Place?

Explore our rain gauges for yards, decks, fences, posts and tabletops to find an option that works for your outdoor space. And before you set it up, take a look at our guide to where to place a rain gauge so you can get the best possible readings.

Learn more here:

• Find out why your rain gauge doesn't match your weather app
• Learn how and why to keep a rainfall log
• See where to place a rain gauge for accurate readings