Precipitation sensing to vary irrigation schedules

A method for adjusting an irrigation schedule for an irrigation system comprising:

• receiving by a sprinkler controller a precipitation signal corresponding to received precipitation from a precipitation sensor, wherein the precipitation signal comprises an ON signal output by a precipitation sensor at a first time, the ON signal indicating that the precipitation sensor has absorbed a predetermined volume of water, and a termination of the ON signal output by the precipitation sensor at a second time, the termination indicating sufficient water has evaporated from the precipitation sensor to drop below the predetermined volume of water;
• transmitting by the sprinkler controller the precipitation signal to a central controller, wherein the central controller is configured to:
• determine a saturation window between the first time and the second time, the saturation window corresponding to a time for the sufficient water evaporation to occur,
• determine an evapotranspiration rate at the precipitation sensor,
• estimate a value of actual precipitation received at the precipitation sensor based on the saturation window and the evapotranspiration rate, and
• adjust an irrigation schedule accounting for the estimated value of actual precipitation;
• receiving by the sprinkler controller the adjusted irrigation schedule;
• and
• activating by the sprinkler controller one or more sprinkler valves based on the adjusted irrigation schedule.