- Weather Station Technology:
- Dan's personal weather station stopped working, prompting a discussion on what to look for in a new one.
- Basic weather stations measure temperature and precipitation, but more advanced ones can measure barometric pressure, wind speed, and direction.
- Historical context: National Weather Service coop stations have provided temperature and precipitation data for 152 years.
- Importance of proper placement and calibration for accurate wind speed and direction measurements.
- Types of Weather Stations:
- Wired vs. wireless weather stations.
- Different types of anemometers: cup anemometers, wind socks, and sonic anemometers.
- Tipping bucket rain gauges and heated rain gauges for winter measurements.
- Forecasting Capabilities:
- Some weather stations can predict weather based on barometric pressure trends.
- More advanced stations can use GPS data to pull forecasts from larger services.
- Community Weather Networks:
- Discussion on the CoCoRaHS network (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network) and its importance for monitoring weather conditions.
- How to join CoCoRaHS: Purchase a rain gauge, register online, and report daily observations.
- Importance of consistent data reporting for federal and state programs.
- Data Verification and Usage:
- Personal weather stations can help verify extreme weather events, such as the 2020 derecho.
- CoCoRaHS data is used for drought monitoring and other agricultural programs.
- Listener Engagement:
- Encouragement for listeners in underrepresented areas like Northwest, West Central, and North Central Iowa to join CoCoRaHS.
- This podcast conversation continues with a discussion about a weather station network called NEWA (Network for Environment and Weather Applications), as discussed by Dan Fillius and Dr. Suzanne Slack.
- NEWA is a weather station network originally from Cornell University that provides weather data and applications for crop management, especially for fruit and vegetable growers.
- The network includes various apps that use weather data to help make decisions about pest control, disease management, and horticultural practices.
- NEWA integrates degree-day based and humidity-based models for predicting pest and disease issues in crops like apples, cabbage, potatoes, and tomatoes.
- Growers can join NEWA by purchasing a compatible weather station (costing between $1500-$3000) and paying an annual fee of $290 (for non-member states).
- The accuracy of predictions is best when a weather station is within about 5 kilometers of the crops.
- Anyone can access basic weather data and some predictive models on the NEWA website for free, even without owning a weather station.
- Dr. Slack is working to make Iowa a member state of NEWA by 2025, which requires six weather stations in the state (currently there are four).
- If Iowa becomes a member state, the annual fee for Iowa growers would be eliminated.
- Dr. Slack encourages interested growers to contact her for more information about joining NEWA.
