Does Cold Actually Affect the Level Gauge on a Propane Tank?
Propane is similar to most other types of materials in that it is affected by cold temperatures. The propane gas contracts when the temperature declines. That reduced level of gas in the tank is reflected by the gauge that reflects the level on the tank. Normally, this occurs whenever a homeowner checks the gauge in cold weather and sees the amount of the tank level before and after delivery. Depending on the weather, the level on the tank might not go up as much as anticipated.

Propane Tank Level Gauge
The propane tanks guage would show what percentage of the gas tank is still full. Tanks are usually not filled more than 80% full as this would allow for the gas to expand on warmer temperatures. Like 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 can be stored.

Normal Temperatures
The website Propane 101, which is operated by the propane industry, considers an exterior temperature of 60 degrees to be the baseline or reference point. Like for instance, if the gauge reads 50 percent of capacity on a day when the temperature is near 60 degrees, then a 500 gallon tank will have approximately 250 gallons of propane. If the temperature that same day is much lower than 60 degrees, the gauge will read lower. Similarly, if the temperature is much higher than 60 degrees, the gauge will actually read higher due to the expansion of the gas.

Effect of Expansion and Contraction
Based on the information provided by the propane industry website, the amount of energy contained in the tank does not actually change as the gas expands or contracts. The amount of propane itself has not changed, but only the density of the gas has changed.

Cold-Weather Delivery
The homeowner who orders 100 gallons of propane would be given approximately 424 pounds of propane. With the delivery of 100 gallons, the homeowner with a 1000 gallon propane tank could expect the guage to go up by 10%. These numbers would be accurate if the temperatures were near 60 degrees at the time of delivery. If the delivery took place during colder weather, these chillier temperatures would cause a smaller increase reading on the propane gauge.