Author Topic: Roadside weather monitor systems  (Read 1502 times)

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Offline DaleReid

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Roadside weather monitor systems
« on: September 17, 2018, 10:30:43 PM »
This last weekend I spent about 9 hours of quality time driving on interstates and state highways in Wisconsin.  Here it seems (and maybe other states, too) there are what appear to be weather stations every so often along the road.  A Rohn 25G tower, by the looks of it, is usually about 30' high, most of the time has an RM Young 5103 wind monitor on it, some sort of radiation shield with what I assume is a temp/humidity gizmo in it, and some times (rarely) a visibility device (really rare).

This last weekend I was surprised to see a tower that is so typical, but the wind device was not a Young propeller type monitor at all, but despite it going by so fast (my wife hates to loose time on the road) it seemed to be more like a cylinder with some sort of dome on the top, not your typical sonic anemometer at all.

Question: 
Are these stations along all interstates?
Can the average public see what the stations are reporting, some sort of place for each state where, like the monitoring cameras where you can see traffic go by, you can see temps and wind and all?
Does anyone know if the basic installations are being updated with some newer stuff to get the data?

Thanks.  Dale
ECWx.info
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ECWx.info/t/index.php

Offline Mattk

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Re: Roadside weather monitor systems
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2018, 10:44:20 PM »
Any photo's?

Offline DaleReid

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Re: Roadside weather monitor systems
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2018, 10:52:55 PM »
Nothing in hand, but I think there is one not too far from me.  Problem is that if it is on the interstate, you can only stop for emergencies.  I'm not sure the State Patrol would consider my getting a clear picture of a tower an emergency.

I think the only places I've seen the non-standard tops of towers, that is those without an RM Young at the top, is in southern Wisconsin, along some of the newly redone portions of the road.

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Offline BeaverMeadow

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Re: Roadside weather monitor systems
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2018, 11:37:16 PM »

Offline WeatherHost

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Re: Roadside weather monitor systems
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2018, 12:26:02 AM »
Question: 
Are these stations along all interstates?
Can the average public see what the stations are reporting, some sort of place for each state where, like the monitoring cameras where you can see traffic go by, you can see temps and wind and all?

Pick a blue dot and click it.

http://rwis.kytc.ky.gov/





Offline miraculon

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Re: Roadside weather monitor systems
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2018, 08:26:22 AM »
Michigan's can be seen at https://mdotjboss.state.mi.us/MiDrive/map#

The weather stations are part of the "camera" function. Click the camera and then one of the sites. A current image will be shown along with weather data. They must have removed barometric pressure, good riddance with all the problems they had with it. Baro data has also been removed from CWOP/Gladstone for these roadside stations.

Greg H.


Blitzortung Stations #706 and #1682
CoCoRaHS: MI-PI-1
CWOP: CW4114 and KE8DAF-13
WU: KMIROGER7
Amateur Radio Callsign: KE8DAF