A precipitation measuring system comprising a top thermal plate positioned to maximize exposure to falling precipitation and includes at least one ridge circumscribing the top surface for capturing precipitation. A second thermal plate is positioned under the top thermal plate to protect it from falling precipitation while still exposing it to the same atmospheric temperature and wind conditions. At least one solar radiation sensor is connected to the precipitation measuring system to measure solar radiation contacting at least one of the top and bottom thermal plates. During a precipitation event, the top and bottom thermal plates are maintained at a constant temperature and a power consumption curve for each thermal plate is quantified. The precipitation rate is measured by the difference in the power consumption curve for the top thermal plate and the power consumption curve for the bottom thermal plate.