Does Cold Temperature Affect the Level Gauge on a Propane Tank?
Like most other types of materials, propane is affected by cold temperatures. As the temperature declines, the propane gas contracts. That reduced level of gas inside the tank is reflected by the gauge which reflects the level on the propane tank. Often, this happens whenever a homeowner checks the gauge during cold climate and sees the amount of the tank level before and after delivery. Depending on the weather conditions, the tank level might not go up as much as anticipated.

Propane Tank Level Gauge
The gauge on the propane tank would show what percentage of the gas tank is still full. Tanks are usually not filled more than 80% full because this will allow for the gas to expand during warmer temperatures. For instance, a 500 gallon tank, at a reading of 80% at normal temperatures reflects around 400 gallons of propane in the tank. This is roughly the amount which could be stored.

Normal Temperatures
The web site Propane 101, which is operated by the propane industry, considers an exterior temperature of 60 degrees to be the baseline or reference point. For instance, if the gauge reads 50% of capacity on a day when the temperature is near 60 degrees, then a 500 gallon tank will contain approximately 250 gallons of propane. If the temperature that same day is a lot lower than 60 degrees, the gauge would read lower. In the same way, if the temperature is a lot higher than 60 degrees, the gauge would actually read higher because the gas expanded.

Effect of Contraction and Expansion
Based on the information given by the propane industry website, the amount of energy contained inside the tank does not really change when the gas expands or contracts. The amount of propane itself has not changed, but just the density of the gas has changed.

Cold-Weather Delivery
The homeowner who orders 100 gallons of propane will receive approximately 424 lbs. of propane. With the delivery of 100 gallons, the homeowner with a 1000 gallon propane tank can expect the guage to go up by 10%. These numbers will be correct if the temperatures were close to 60 degrees at the time of delivery. If the delivery took place during colder weather conditions, these chillier temperatures will result in a smaller increase reading on the propane gauge.