Lower-atmospheric potential measurements obtained in 1983 through 1985 using the Hy-wire technique are summarized in this paper. Observed values of the potential were in the range of 50-100 kV in Fairbanks, Alaska, compared with 100-200 kV at Wallops Island, Virginia. While differences are seen in absolute potential for different sites, the daily variations are similar in character. When 1-hour averages are formed from the entire data set the result is a unitary variation very reminiscent of both the Carnegies curve and more recent stratospheric electric field data. A comparison with an aircraft potential measurement in the same vicinity during April 1983 demonstrates that the two techniques yield roughly similar results, except that the Hy-wire measurements were 20-30% lower in absolute value. For the Alaska data, no clear effect on the potential was seen during a 400-nT auroral magnetic perturbation. ¿American Geophysical Union 1987