What’s the value of a weather station? How do I choose which weather station is best for me?
At an outdoor concert during the Indiana State Fair in 2011, wind gusts reaching an estimated 59 miles per hour caused the stage’s rigging to collapse. The resulting debris landed on the crowd of concert-goers injuring 58 and killing seven. In February, 2012, an EF2 tornado hit the small town of Harveyville, Kansas, injuring 12 people and killing one. Every building in the community sustained some damage. In February, 2013, extensive power outages plagued the Northeast United States as a blizzard carrying two to three feet of snow slammed into New England.
According to a report from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the US experienced a preliminary total of eleven billion dollars in weather-related disasters in 2012. From Hurricane Sandy to the national drought to Western wildfires, weather influenced everything from the cost of fruit to, potentially, the 2012 Presidential election. As weather conditions develop, it helps to stay in tune with what’s coming. Menacing clouds and unrelenting sun can each create their own hazards.
Using Weather Stations
While listening to weather forecasts is one way to track changing conditions, those with personal weather stations get instant reports for their location rather than delayed updates from a centralized station many miles away. Weather stations can measure and record barometric pressure, outside humidity and dew point, rainfall, wind speed and direction, inside and outside temperature, and windchill. With this information, weather enthusiasts, researchers, and even professional weather watchers can gather data to help prepare for severe disturbances.
Commercially, those working in weather-critical professions rely on weather stations to monitor variables. “From the US Coast Guard to oil refineries to coal-fired power plants, and local airports, we’ve heard from a variety of station users seeking to choose the best model for their planned use,” said Jon Thomson, Cole-Parmer Application Specialist. “We’ve heard from scientists who manage wildlife and want a record of the microclimate in their location. Government workers who require the data for the National Weather Service have also contacted us with questions about their professional weather stations and their functionality.”
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