CITIZEN WEATHER OBSERVER PROGRAM

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CITIZEN WEATHER OBSERVER PROGRAM
Russ Chadwick, NOAA Earth System Research
Laboratory
CWOP 3300 citizen weather stations worldwide
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Purpose of CWOP

• Private-public partnership with goals
• 1. Collect weather data contributed by
  private citizens
• 2. Make these data available for public and
  private weather services
• 3. Provide feedback to the contributors so they
  have tools to improve data quality.

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CWOP Data Flow
Mobile station
RF
I-Gates
RF
RF
Weather station
RF
APRS-IS
APRS Servers
Weather station
findu.com database
GSD Central Facility
MADIS
CWOP database
MesoWest
OtherUsers
NCEP
AWIPS
WFOs
UCAR
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Private-Public Partnership

• Data Collection (privately owned and operated)
• WX stations operated by private citizens
• Data transfer by APRS-IS (internet service)
• Data management by findU.com

• Data Distribution (provided by NOAA)
• Data distribution by MADIS
• Data quality checking by QCMS
• NOAA GSD Central Computer Facility

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Hurricane Charley over Orlando, FL August 14,
2004 at 0225UTC
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David Riesters KD4MRL CWOP weather station
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Bill Brunos KB2RC CWOP weather station 6.6 miles
to the ENE
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Circulation associated with Charley near Orlando,
Florida
H0295
CW0927
CW2363
WA4LZC
KC6TYC
KD4WLI
CW0587
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Hurricane Jeanne hour 1
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Hurricane Jeanne hour 2
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Hurricane Jeanne hour 3
Emillo Sansevieros CW0262 CWOP Weather Station
David Lanes K4ZZR CWOP Weather Station
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Hurricane Jeanne hour 4
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Hurricane Jeanne hour 5
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Tropical Storm Gaston August 30, 2004
o CW1481
Richmond Area CWOP Observations
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CWOP Helps Measure Extreme Temperatures Over
Northern New York and New England
Combined Stations
CWOP Only
January 28, 2005
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BALTIMORE HARBOR WATER TAXI ACCIDENT
At about 400 PM EST on March 6, 2004, a sudden
gust of wind overturned a water taxi carrying
sightseers around Baltimore Harbor.
There were five fatalities.
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Location of Gus Campbells CW1550 CWOP Weather
Station Five Miles WSW of the Water Taxi Accident
Site
Accident Site
CW1550
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Wind reported by Gus Campbells CW1550 CWOP
weather station on UTC day March 6,
2004, showing 53 mph wind gust reported at 351
PM EST.
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Main Take-Home Points

• If you are in a sparsely populated area, then
  your station may give the only weather reports
  for many miles in any direction there are many
  gaps of over 100 miles in US.
• If you are in a densely populated area, then your
  station may be the only weather station that sees
  a small scale weather event (like the Baltimore
  Harbor gust).
• In all cases, running a weather station is great
  way to give back to your local community.

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How to join CWOP and send in weather data
You need computer with internet access, weather
station hardware and weather station software for
CWOP Enter www.cwop.net (or cwop.net) into your
browser and click on How to join CWOP and
follow the directions. If you have any
questions, send them to dave_at_cwop.info or
russ_at_cwop.net
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Southwest USA CWOP Stationsincl. Terrie Millers
CW3724 CWOP Station
CW3724
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Terrie Millers CW3724 CWOP Weather Station
Pressure Quality Checking
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Terrie Millers CW3724 CWOP Weather Station Dew
Point Quality Checking
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Terrie Millers CW3724 CWOP Weather Station
Temperature Quality Checking
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Terrie Millers CW3724 CWOP Weather Station
Daytime Temperature Quality Checking
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Terrie Millers CW3724 CWOP Weather Station
Nighttime Temperature Quality Checking
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Terrie Millers CW3724 CWOP Weather Station Wind
Speed Quality Checking
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Anemometer Housing and Internal Moving Parts
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Anemometer Printed Circuit Board
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Relative Humidity/Temperature Sensor
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Radiation Shield and T238 Interface Board