Backyard Weather

1. Backyard Weather Amateur Weather Observing for Dummies

2. Presenters:Erik ProseusDanny PhelpsEddie HolmesJonathan Howell

3. What is Backyard Weather? • Observing the environment - in your own micro-climate! • Unofficial, but valuable, information collection and dissemination • Accomplished with a wide range of equipment • Satisfying and FUN!

4. Why do it? • For weather junkies and data hounds, it is the ultimate in “weather participation” • To be used by others • Weather enthusiasts • National Weather Service • Scientists doing research • To give juvenile delinquents something to take target practice at • To give neighbors something to talk about

5. Ways to get involved • Personal weather station • Automated data distribution • CoCoRaHS • Daily precip reports • NWS Cooperative Observer • NWS equipment and daily observations

6. CWOP • Citizen Weather Observer Program • Goals: • Collect weather data from citizens • Make data available for weather services and homeland security • Provide feedback to contributors on their data quality • Over 5,000 CWOP members worldwide (approx. 3,500 in U.S.) http://www.wxqa.com

7. CWOP data flow • Data flows to findU servers via APRS-IS (Automatic Position Reporting System-Internet Service) • findU servers send data to MADIS (Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System) every 15 minutes to become part of the NOAA mesonet dataset that can then be displayed on AWIPS at the NWS

8. How to join CWOP • Fill out an online registration form to be assigned a station number • Set up commercially-available software to send data automatically • Check to see that the data is flowing to the findU servers and confirm data quality periodically

9. Personal Weather Stations • Several companies produce reliable stations at a wide range of costs • Davis Instruments • La Crosse • Oregon Scientific • Rainwise • Texas Weather Instruments • Purchase from manufacturer websites, some retail outlets, or online weather companies (AmbientWeather.com)

10. What to buy? • What sensors are important to you? • What parameters are logged, computed, and displayed or alarmed? • How accurate and what update interval? • Consider surrounding environment – wired vs. wireless • Upgrade-ability and maintainability • Manufacturer/dealer support • Cost and value for money • Accompanying software

11. How much? • Basic instrumentation, cabled stations start as low as $120-$150 • Davis wireless model with extra features/ accessories can run upwards of $1,000 • High-end Texas Weather Instruments stations can be over $2,000 • Software is included with many systems, but might consider off-the-shelf packages with more features

12. I want to spend more! • Lightning detectors (Boltek) • Accessories (solar radiation, UV, leaf wetness, temp probes, auxiliary stations) • Upgraded software • Weatherproof web cams • X2 integration (connect to home systems – heat, A/C, sprinklers, etc.)

13. Instrumentation(a few examples) For beginners or serious hobbyists

14. Davis Vantage Pro 2 Sensors and Console

15. Davis Vantage Pro 2 Erik’s Station Setup

16. Davis Vantage Pro 2 FedEx MEM Hub

17. Davis Vantage Pro 2 FedEx IND Hub

18. FedEx Intranet

19. Davis Weather Monitor II Sensors and Console

20. Davis Weather Monitor II Eddie’s Station Setup

21. Davis Weather Monitor II Eddie’s Station Setup

22. LaCrosse WS-2310 Sensors and Base

23. LaCrosse WS-2310 Danny’s Station Setup

24. Texas Weather Instruments WR-25 Sensors and Console

25. Texas Weather Instruments WR-25 Rusty’s Station Setup

26. Software For processing and transmitting data

27. Virtual Weather Station

28. VWSaprs

29. WeatherLink

30. Weather Display

31. Weather Display Live

32. WeatherView 32

33. WeatherView 32

34. More on Mesonets and Benefits of Contributing to a Mesonet Jonathan HowellNWS-Memphis

35. Other ways to contribute • CoCoRaHS – Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (cocorahs.org) • Volunteer network of precipitation observers • West TN Coordinator – Zwemer Ingram (NWS-MEG) • Obtain a certified rain gauge, take daily precip observations, submit via web • Used for natural resource, education, research, and operational purposes http://www.cocorahs.org

36. Other ways to contribute • NWS Cooperative Observer Program • Record temps, precip, and other data daily and send to NWS local office • All equipment provided and maintained by the NWS, as well as training • More than 11,000 volunteers across the U.S. • Local oversight provided by Zwemer Ingram

37. Germantown, TN Co-Op Station

38. Co-op Requirements • Dedication to public service • Attention to detail • Ability to learn and perform daily duties • Willingness to allow NWS to place instrumentation on your property • Willingness to allow at least one visit per year by NWS • PC and internet access optional http://www.weather.gov/om/coop/

39. Where can the general public find backyard weather data? • Weather Underground • www.wunderground.com • CWOP/APRS • FindU, www.findu.com • CWOP, www.wxqa.com • MADIS, http://www-frd.fsl.noaa.gov/mesonet/ • MesoWest, http://www.met.utah.edu/mesowest/ • Texas A&M, http://mesonet.tamu.edu • WeatherForYou.com • Individual weather websites

40. Are you ready… • To contribute to our meteorological community? • To brave the elements for a rainfall total? • To learn something new? • To have a lot of FUN observing the weather?? JOIN US TODAY!