[wxqc] Weatherbonk and Yahoo Maps

[webmaster]

Thanks to Kim Komando I found out about Weatherbonk 
(weatherbonk.com).  Weatherbonk uses Google Maps and puts various 
weather station's temp data on the map to view.  They make a "lite" 
product that allows you to put a limited version on your web page 
which I have done (farmingtonweather.com).  Unfortunately as I am 
writing this the image is not displaying.  Perhaps due to increased 
traffic due to Kim's announcement.  I assume the outage is temporary.

Anyway, when looking at the map I noticed the local airport's temp 
was still several degrees off after promises to get it fixed, but 
more importantly their location on the map was about a mile off.  The 
information in FINDU has always shown their weather station 
mid-runway, about a 1/4 mile from the correct location, but the WS 
location on the Weatherbonk map is about a mile the other way, about 
a mile from the incorrect runway location.

If your not aware, you can use the Yahoo Maps to find your exact 
long/lat.  Their map has a crosshair on it and as you move the 
crosshair around the map, it changes the URL to reflect the current 
position of the crosshair.  I had used a GPS to find my WS 
location.  When I moved the crosshair to what I thought the 
coordinates were, there was only about a 20' difference from the 
actual location.  I don't know if my GPS was more accurate (SIRF 3) 
or their info, but I am happy to use their info as my "real" 
location.  Since I know the actual location of the KLVN airport WS, I 
used Yahoo maps to get the exact long/lat for KLVN.

I also noticed that besides KLVN's temp still being several degrees 
off, I noticed a WS in Savage was about 16 degrees off.  That makes 
me wonder why CWOP doesn't "filter" their information out, i.e. not 
display their data?  I know the data for the map is from CWOP as 
Weatherbonk states where the weather information is from, i.e. it has 
a CWOP logo on it.  The local middle school's WS has a Weatherbug logo on it.

I also noticed that when you clicked on the temp button for more 
information, none of the local weather stations were displaying a 
barometer value?  They all showed zero.

To summarize for those I got lost in the diatribe:

1.  Does anyone know of a way to make the FAA fix the local AWOS's 
temp problem?

2.  Why does CWOP allow passing along temp data WAY off (65 vs. 49 degrees)?

3.  Does anyone know why some of the weather stations like mine and 
the nearby CW5773 show in the exact position but the airport's 
position is WAY wrong?

4.  Is it only for MADIS reasons that data is omitted?  For 
everything else (like Weatherbonk) the wrong data is allowed to be displayed?

5.  Does anyone know why Weatherbonk doesn't display baro info?

6.  Can or would anyone from CWOP correct the location for 
KLVN?  (44.625206/-93.227306)

Thanks!

Lew




******************************************
Lew - Amateur Weatherman
lew at farmingtonweather.com
Farmington Weather
www.farmingtonweather.com
Farmington, Minnesota, USA