Weather station interesting, informative

I finally have my own weather station. Believe it or not, despite a childhood of being fascinated with weather and more than 15 years spent either studying or working in the field of meteorology, neither my husband nor I have ever had our own weather station. Now we are the proud owners of a Davis Vantage Pro2. It is wireless and solar powered, and measures many important weather variables such as temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction and rainfall. The instruments are mounted atop an eight-foot pole in my backyard, while the wireless console sits anywhere inside my house. Making and recording weather observations can be an important part of a meteorologist’s job, but it can also be a fun hobby for anyone who has the interest. Though my particular weather station is pretty high tech and cost more than $500, you don’t necessarily need expensive equipment to put together your own weather station. Simple easy to read rain gauges and thermometers can be bought for less than $10. I have also seen basic weather stations at places like windandweather.com and weathershack.com for under $100. As a fun and educational project for kids, you can even make your own rain gauge using something as simple as a tin can and a ruler. Simple “make your own barometer” directions can be found at http://starryskies. com/try_this/baro1.html.

When setting up your own weather instruments, location is extremely important. The most expensive equipment will not give you good data if not properly placed. If you want to get accurate wind information, anemometers need to be placed in an open area clear of obstructions that could affect both wind speed and direction. Trees and other structures can create eddies and even funnel the wind making for unrepresentative measurements. When official temperature readings are taken, such as those at Geiger Field in Spokane or the Coeur d’Alene Airport, the thermometer is mounted approximately six feet off the ground with a ventilated and shielded thermometer. The thermometer is shielded because it is used to measure “air” temperature. A thermometer placed in the open sun will read much higher because the instrument itself will absorb direct solar radiation and heat up. Make sure also to place a thermometer away from homes or structures that radiate heat. For accurate rainfall measurements, rain gauges must also be located away from major obstructions. If a gauge is placed too close to a large structure, swirling wind currents could either carry more or less precipitation into the gauge than is representative for the area as a whole.

Once you have your weather instruments in place, recording daily observations can provide interesting insight into local weather patterns. Note what happens to wind speed and direction after the passage of a cold front. You’ll often see a shift in the wind to the southwest and a noticeable increase in speed. For those who have been told that falling barometric pressure always means a storm is on the way, look for daily cycles of pressure changes that occur in the absence of approaching storms. During the winter, measure the amount of snow that has fallen with a ruler, and then melt the snow in the rain gauge to get the liquid equivalent. Compare the ratio of water to snow when it is fluffy and when it is heavy.

Projects like these can be educational for children and adults alike. You might even spark the interest of a future meteorologist in your family.