Mr. Lopatka used a Fluke 63 Surface Thermometer that was chilled to the outside temperature. (That Prevents shock when a warm thermometer goes out into the cold)

We measured the dept of the snow in millimeters, then we took the Celsius temperature of the snow at that point.  (Our snow dept measured between 90 and 108 Millimeters.)

We took surface temperature readings at 9 different spots.

Students recorded the Universal Time of each reading.

We also checked the cloud cover and cloud types.  The Therm- ometer maxed out at -40 degrees when it was pointed at the sky.

Students had fun getting outside for this activity.  They had many more questions than answers.

We took the student's data back into the school.  The surface of the snow was between -2.8 and -0.2 Celsius. The sidewalk was + 4 C.

We discussed some of our data and looked for patterns.  We talked about the difference of Albedo of the snow and the sidewalk.  

The following is a list of schools that are taking surface temperatures:

Roswell Kent Middle School, Akron, Ohio, USA – 37 observations

Rockhill Elementary School, Alliance, Ohio, USA – 28 observations

Dalton High School, Dalton, Ohio, USA – 64 observations

Chartiers-Houston Jr./Sr. High School, Houston, Pennsylvania, USA

Cloverleaf High School, Lodi, Ohio, USA – 37 observations

The Morton Arboretum Youth Education Dept., Lisle, Illinois, USA

Mill Creek Middle School, Comstock Park, Michigan, USA

Kilingi-Nomme Gymnasium, Parnumaa, Estonia – 22 observations

Polaris Career Center, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, USA

National Presbyterian School, Washington, DC, USA

White Cloud Public, White Cloud, Michigan, USA – 33 observations

Blue Valley High School, Stilwell, Kansas, USA 

Perkins Middle School, Akron, Ohio, USA

Steeple Run School, Naperville, Illinois, USA

Kittrell Elementary School, Waterloo, Iowa, USA

Lorain Community College Early College High School, Elyria, Ohio, USA – 46 observations

Ingomar Middle School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA 

Moosewood Farm Home School, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA – 21 observations

Roxboro Middle School, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA

Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, USA – 28 observations

Ida Elementary School, Ida, Michigan, USA 

Whitehall High School, Whitehall, Michigan, USA - 22 observations

Taaksi Basic School, EE2914, Viljandimaa, Estonia

Birchwood School, Cleveland, Ohio, USA – 34 observations

Gimnazium in Toszek, Toszek, Poland – 20 observations

Waynesboro Senior High School, Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, USA 

Eastwood Middle School, Pemberville, Ohio, USA

Orange Elementary School, Waterloo, Iowa, USA

Estes Park High School, Estes Park, Colorado, USA

Hudsonville High School, Hudsonville, Michigan, USA

University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA

Main Street School, Norwalk, Ohio, USA - 20 observations

This chart shows the Albedo (Latin for White) of different materials and helps explain why the 

surface temperature of the snow was much colder than the sidewalk. 

Click here for more on Surface Temperature and freeze up studies.