Topic: Gladstone Temp Errors

[funsutton]

I know Gladstone wind analysis isn't trustworthy these days, but how about their temp analysis?

Here's mine, and this is something I've been seeing lately:

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The equipment I'm using is a WH32E in a Davis radiation shield, which is in a separate location from my ultrasonic anemometer. The temp sensor is about 4 foot from the ground in my backyard and has some tall trees about 10 foot west of it, with some smaller brush about 5 feet away.

I know this is a crappy picture, but it gives you location information:

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I haven't done any hi/lo compensation for the temp sensor on the 5000 console. It reads what it reads.

When I look at the CWOP siting suggestions for temp sensors, it says: Place sensors at a horizontal distance of 2 times the height of the nearest object (tree, structure, etc). [Example: 40 feet away from a 20 foot tall tree].

How important is this? Could this be causing my readings to be too low or too high? Or am I worrying about nothing?

[CW2274]

When I look at the CWOP siting suggestions for temp sensors, it says: Place sensors at a horizontal distance of 2 times the height of the nearest object (tree, structure, etc). [Example: 40 feet away from a 20 foot tall tree].

 Or am I worrying about nothing?

That's not for temp, but your rain gauge. Temp sensor should be over terrain indicative of your surroundings between ~4-6 ft. Yours looks fine.

As far as worrying, I've said it a ka-billion times here...no one knows your data as well as you do. I never need QC to tell me otherwise. Be your own.

[funsutton]

Actually, that is for temp sensors:

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[CW2274]

So it is. Sorry bout that. I still back the other comment so I'm batting 500. 

[WA7FWF]

Both of my stations track well with Gladstone (within .5 deg) but I would ignore Gladstone for a moment and do a sanity check. Do you have another station or a thermometer to compare with? take your own temp readings in the shade and compare with what your station says and then go from there with what you find.

Kevin

[galfert]

The problem with Gladstonefamily.net analysis is that it relies heavily on your neighbors having decent enough working stations. I make it a point to contact my neighbors to let them know when their equipment is not producing good data.

In your case you potentially have at least one or more bad neighbor stations. The worst one is FW6015. I would contact them (William) and send them a nice friendly email.

FW0872 is also pretty bad.

http://www.wxqa.com/states/NC.html

[funsutton]

So it is. Sorry bout that. I still back the other comment so I'm batting 500. 

Thanks. I appreciate your other point.

Both of my stations track well with Gladstone (within .5 deg) but I would ignore Gladstone for a moment and do a sanity check. Do you have another station or a thermometer to compare with? take your own temp readings in the shade and compare with what your station says and then go from there with what you find.

I do have a couple of other thermometers I can use for comparison sake at certain times of the day. I bought them solely for that purpose.

The problem with Gladstonefamily.net analysis is that it relies heavily on your neighbors having decent enough working stations. I make it a point to contact my neighbors to let them know when their equipment is not producing good data.

In your case you potentially have at least one or more bad neighbor stations. The worst one is FW6015. I would contact them (William) and send them a nice friendly email.

FW0872 is also pretty bad.

http://www.wxqa.com/states/NC.html

Thanks Galfert. I appreciate your looking at this. I have noticed often in the past that I am sometimes 3 degrees or more lower than FW6015's Atlas station, especially when the sun is out. What's weird is that his temps seem a-ok with Gladstone while mine is the one getting bad marks.

There is an Ambient WS2000 station very nearby that I use as a comparison, but they aren't on MADIS. I seem to track much closer to them.

Not that I disagree with you, because I think you're right. But I am curious as to how you determine that FW6015 is a bad station. Or any station, for that matter.

Thanks.

[galfert]

You can use the Gladstonefamily.net neighbor comparison feature. It will overlay data for the stations you choose (check box of station and then select Add to Charts button). You can also expand on this and include stations that are not presented as options by learning how to manually manipulate the comparison URL. Just start with the normal comparison URL and then notice that the only thing you have to so is add &addnl= foowed by the ID (in Caps). Then move around the calendar dates to compare data.

Once you do this, it is easy to spot the outliers.