[wxqc] Station Climate Data Files

[Dave Helms]

Hi Sam,

I know you have put a lot of effort into squaring away your station so I 
would dispute the claim that your equipment, properly sited, does not 
meet NOAA minimum standards.  This may be a case of "not invented 
here".  I don't consider my Peet Bros Ultimeter to be a top of the line 
system, and my siting is not perfect, but I was able to measure 49.43 
inches of annual rain in 2005, while BWI recorded 49.14 inches of annual 
rain.  I know my monthly mean temperatures are consistent with BWI as 
well.  Long term consistency with professional sensors should get you a 
little respect. 

I am a believer in the Field of Dreams movie saying, "if you build it, 
(he) they will come".  So, NOAA climate people aren't thrilled about my 
data, no big deal, give then another couple years of quality data 
collection and they will change their tune.  I have authorized Brian 
Hamilton/WBCR to release my climate data to  contractors and insurance 
people who have approached him.  In the last two weeks strangers have 
emailed me thanking me for making my data available; one used my 
rainfall to solve a drainage problem that had previously caused flooding 
problems in his finished basement and  another person said his  mother 
lived in a nearby assisted living community and he liked to know how 
cold it was so he could check up on mom.  My home owner's association 
links to my page and so neighborhood mom's know how to dress the kids 
for the bus in the morning. 

The short answer to your question is don't let a lack or interest from 
the official climate community stop you from creating your own station's 
long term climate record.  Once you have a long period of record of 
quality data, many different groups will appreciate your statistics.

Dave
CW0351


Sam Drinkard wrote:

> Hi Dave,
>
>    Here's a Q. for you.  I'm sure the climate data files really have a 
> use for someone, but I believe I asked around sometime way back when I 
> first started with the wx station, and nobody around here want them.  
> I even checked the state climate office folks, and they told me since 
> the equipment didn't meet NOAA minimum standards, the data was 
> unusable.  That being the case, and CAE does not want it, is there 
> anybody else that could make use of the data?  I did not ask the folks 
> at CDC in Asheville, as I had no contact name there.  The VWS 
> automagicaly creates the climate data on a monthly and yearly basis, 
> supposedly, in NOAA format.
>
> Sam
>
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