AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Government scientists have come up with a system that uses a small windmill and solar panels to power a device to measure snowfall in remote areas of Maine that lack access to the grid.

The system uses a gauge attached to a five-gallon bucket atop a wooden platform on a metal pole. A heating element on the gauge melts snow as it collects in the cone of the bucket, which tips over and empties when full. The collection data is transmitted and recorded on the Web.

The U.S. Geological Survey says a prototype system in use at its Augusta office last winter has proven so accurate that the agency plans to install four of the systems around the state this summer.

The data helps predict flood risk from spring snowmelt.