Topic: PurpleAir / PWS / Weather Underground

[torkelmj]

My Davis VP2 PWS has been feeding data to Weather Underground since 2012. Just the other day I noticed something strange - on the Weather Underground maps, my PWS (as shown on the WU map) more or less consistently reported a temperature 4°C higher than other stations in the area. The PWS console itself displayed correct temperature data.

I finally got time to look into the matter this afternoon. As it turns out, my PWS data is overwritten by frequent and erroneous temperature reports from the PurpleAir sensor which I installed some two years ago. Not remembering whether I had provided the PurpleAir service with my WU password during setup, I simply changed my WU password and updated my weather software accordingly - hoping that the PurpleAir-provided data would not reach the WU servers after the password change. No joy - my PWS weather data was still overwritten by the PurpleAir sensor data. 

Re-registering the PurpleAir sensor, selecting "Create new Weather Underground sensor ID" during the setup process seems to have cured the problem. Hopefully this will assist others who may experience the same problem.

I surely hadn't expected the PurpleAir sensor to upload temperature data to Weather Underground, effectively overwriting my PWS data. Maybe there's a setting somewhere -- I wasn't able to locate one, though.

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[crawdad62]

That's interesting. I just ordered my PurpleAir this past weekend. I was on the site and noticed the WU signup/in. So you should be good as long as you don't try and associate it with your PWS? Isn't there supposed to be integration between the two (other than screwing up your temperature readings )?

[torkelmj]

So you should be good as long as you don't try and associate it with your PWS? Isn't there supposed to be integration between the two (other than screwing up your temperature readings )?

I didn't find any documentation detailing how this integration is carried out. Experience seems to show that the PurpleAir data simply overwrites the weather station data when used with the same Weather Underground station ID.

[KennyBKK]

So you should be good as long as you don't try and associate it with your PWS? Isn't there supposed to be integration between the two (other than screwing up your temperature readings )?

I didn't find any documentation detailing how this integration is carried out. Experience seems to show that the PurpleAir data simply overwrites the weather station data when used with the same Weather Underground station ID.

Thanks for letting us know this.  My PurpleAir is on the way, so I'd better use different WU id from the current Weather Station

[n4khq]

About a year ago I bought a Purple Air on Weather Underground recommendation. I tried for a couple of months to display the data on my WU weather station page but purple air said WU was not ready and I gave up. The new WU format has a place for UV and says no data available. Is it possible to get Purple Air data on one's WU station page and not have the temperature over written.