Topic: Make the case...

[Big Sky Weather]

For those that created a weather website, whether it was for just personal/hobby use or to provide the data as a service to your local community, what are some of the reasons you either gave someone or to yourself for doing so? I'm really more focused on those that created it for public/community use. When you tell someone that you're creating such a site and they retort with: "Why do I need to go to your site when I can just open the weather app on my phone or go to WU, Accuweather, etc.?", what do you respond with?

Has anyone tried to shoot down your idea? Is so, how did you handle it?

Help make the case for someone to use your local site rather than opening an app or browsing to WU (or any of the big dog sites).

[92merc]

When I started this project back in 2004, I wanted a digital weather system instead of my manual rain gauge.  Then I found out, most the systems out there wouldn't have the historical abilities that I wanted.  So I had to add a logger and software.  Then I found out the software can post to a website.  At that time, I used my IS provider's free storage to do that.  So for me, it started as solely a personal project.

After I told a few people about it, they started using it.  I enjoy sharing with others my data.  But my main reason is my own pleasure.  The fact that others find it useful is just icing for me.

Since starting, I've expanded the project into stuff like adding all the other sites I can share my data with.  And even the broader Blitzortung project.  But I justify it by saying this is my hobby that I like to do.  It's primarily for me.

[PaulMy]

After I told a few people about it, they started using it.  I enjoy sharing with others my data.  But my main reason is my own pleasure.  The fact that others find it useful is just icing for me.

Since starting, I've expanded the project into stuff like adding all the other sites I can share my data with.  And even the broader Blitzortung project.  But I justify it by saying this is my hobby that I like to do.  It's primarily for me.

Ditto...
and it is real, and actual what it is in our neighbourhood!

Enjoy,
Paul
 

[chief-david]

WU sucks.

I use mine as an educational tool at school. That was the main intent. When others look at it and reference it, It is just a bonus.

[galfert]

If you build it, they will come.

[havtrail]

After I told a few people about it, they started using it.  I enjoy sharing with others my data.  But my main reason is my own pleasure.  The fact that others find it useful is just icing for me.

Since starting, I've expanded the project into stuff like adding all the other sites I can share my data with.  And even the broader Blitzortung project.  But I justify it by saying this is my hobby that I like to do.  It's primarily for me.

Ditto...
and it is real, and actual what it is in our neighbourhood!

Enjoy,
Paul
 

This is the argument that I use, too. Your data is probably the only data that is actually physically measured where you live. The other sources derive their data from other places, from analysis of radar, etc. You are actually measuring it right where you and your neighbors live. That counts for something...

Rich K.

[yamiacaveman]

Probably like most, it started for me as a personal interest.

So about 15 years later - I have a following that has grown and somewhat depend on what I provide. I live on a lake in a very small community, most of the homes are peoples vacation homes, their actual residence can be more than a 100 miles away. With the internet they can now get real time information about weater conditions perhaps within feet of their house, when they are not here. Sometimes weather varies greatly in short distances, a general forecast in my area might say 1 to 3 inches of snow, well, 10 miles to the north of me down in the valley, they might get 2 inches of snow, 10 miles south of me - no snow and because I am some what in the elevations I might have 6 inches of snow, and people sitting a 100 miles away seem to like to know that. 

I'm not sre I like peple "depending" on what i provide, but boy, about 3 years ago, in one of our winter storms, our power was out for about 3 days, the people new because my weather station was down, so they had people check on their houses, so pipes wouldn't freeze and so on. I was presently surpised, when I had 2 neighbors thank me for my information, not only thanks but a wonderful apple pie and a expensive botte of bourbon, lol.

[MackerelSky]

When you tell someone that you're creating such a site and they retort with: "Why do I need to go to your site when I can just open the weather app on my phone or go to WU, Accuweather, etc.?", what do you respond with?

I planted my Davis early in 2011 with being able to keep data that I could use for gardening. Once I had that set up, it was just a natural progression to 'share' the data with places like CWOP, WU, Gladstone and Meso West.

Then, with too much time on my hands, came across this forum and learned enough to be dangerous about getting a website setup. Ken's setup, along with many other contributors, made it simple to produce a decent looking site with all the data the Davis could produce. And with Cumulus disecting and supplying the data, well, it couldn't get much easier.

As others have mentioned, your station most likely has it's own micro-climate that you and your neighbors can use. When I first hit WU, I was the only one in our county to have a station. Currently, there's only 5, but none of them have the associated website up.

Our NWS office, State College Pa., is 100 miles away with our county in the NW section. Buffalo NY's NWS is 100 miles to our north. Local weather in it's true sense is hard to come by as all three major TV networks are once again around 100 miles away. I used to have a 'daily diary' on my front page, where I dabbled in comparing forecasts from the different NWS offices and tried to narrow it down to our neck of the woods, as we live in a Lake Effect Snow Belt. Traffic can get pretty hairy at times thru the winter, yet those 'local' places didn't quite pin down the weather for us.

In late 2014, I dropped the diary and headed to FaceBook on the suggestion of a couple of friends. It's a fairly active site that I publish our forecast, show a few maps and post any active watches/warnings. It can get kind of busy when we have foul weather and not just during the winter.

So when someone asks why I do what I do, it's just like it states on every page of my site, * 'cause not everyone lives at the airport. * Just enjoy the adventure and see where it leads ya.

All the Best!
Brad