Topic: Everyone should double check their MesoWest Location and Elevation

[galfert]

I've discovered that if you move your CWOP location, MesoWest does not automatically update your location nor your elevation.

I recommend you double check your MesoWest location and elevation anyway, even if you've never moved. In the link below replace XNNNN with your MADIS ID, not the same as your CWOP ID. Your MADIS ID is the same as what shows up in your Gladstonefamily.net analysis site.
https://mesowest.utah.edu/cgi-bin/droman/meso_base_dyn.cgi?stn=XNNNN

Your MesoWest location is displayed on the top left of the page. If your location is off, or the elevation is off, you can find an email link at the bottom of the page to send them the updated information. Currently this contact information is atmos-mesowest@lists.utah.edu to reach them.

I recommend sending them your location in Decimal Degrees (D.d) format with at least 5 or 6 decimal places, and elevation in Feet. Make it match your CWOP registration that you can see at your Gladstonefamily.net site.

It seems that MesoWest pulls your CWOP registration information when you first get on CWOP, but it doesn't seem to me that they ever look for updates. My station ran for 6 months without MesoWest updating location and elevation. I purposefully waited to see what would happen, then I forgot to follow up. I didn't find any information regarding this anywhere. Lots of information about how to change your CWOP location but nothing about following up with MesoWest.

[ocala]

Mine is spot on. Elevation and location.

[galfert]

The reason I said to check anyway is because I'm sure some people don't remember back when they registered if they made minor location/elevation corrections. As was the case for me, where I made a correction even before I actually started sending data. I had totally forgotten about this and that was just 6 months ago.

[FW8379]

Double checking appears to be a good idea galfert: I recently (last week) registered with CWOP.
Comparing station information in CWOP with Mesowest (F8379)>>
Latitude & Longitude: look OK (I think there may be slight differences due to conversions and rounding).
Elevation: Noticing the elevation I registered with CWOP does not match the elevation in MesoWest by 4 feet. Not sure how much 4 feet matters but makes me wonder why there's a difference.
Here's the comparison:
Registered Location CWOP (gladstonefamily):
Latitude: 40° 44' 35" N (deg min sec), 40.7431° (decimal), 4044.58N (LORAN)
Longitude: 111° 29' 5" W (deg min sec), -111.4848° (decimal), 11129.09W (LORAN)
Elevation: 2002 metres (6570 feet) -- validated against 2000 metres (6562 feet) from Geonames

MesoWest Station info:
STATION INFO
ID: F8379
NAME: FW8379 Park City
LATITUDE: 40.74306
LONGITUDE: -111.48476
ELEVATION: 6574 ft
MNET: APRSWXNET/CWOP

I don't recall making any adjustments to my location/elevation since registering. Does anyone know where MesoWest is getting their elevation from?
Regardless, I will email MesoWest with the correct registered elevation.

[CW2274]

Elevation: Noticing the elevation I registered with CWOP does not match the elevation in MesoWest by 4 feet. Not sure how much 4 feet matters but makes me wonder why there's a difference.

That equates to 0.004 inHg.

[FW8379]

I figured it wouldn't matter much. Stated accuracies of station:
Barometric Pressure Accuracy: ± 0.08 inHg (within range of 27.13 to 32.50 inHg).

Just curious as to difference in CWOP vs. MesoWest. It could've been something I did along the way in registering but sure don't remember.
Thanks.

[CW2274]

Just curious as to difference in CWOP vs. MesoWest.

Just as an FYI, my pressure obs sent to the NWS and Meso always coincide, but I exclusively use the altimeter setting as well.

[FW8379]

I understand that pressure is tied to elevation - but I was curious as to why the difference between the elevation I registered my station with and what MesoWest has for my station elevation.

[FW8379]

Regardless, I will email MesoWest with the correct registered elevation.

UPDATE:
I emailed MesoWest and my station elevation was corrected the next day. I also received an email back -
Thank you for contacting MesoWest.  We have updated the elevation of this station to 6570 feet.