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MesoWest and ROMAN Weather Observing Resources

Explore MesoWest and ROMAN software for accessing surface environmental information. Learn about monitoring and accessing weather data in real-time for meteorologists and land managers. Resources cover 200+ agencies and 70+ networks.

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MesoWest and ROMAN Weather Observing Resources

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  1. Part III: ROMAN and MesoWest: resources for observing surface weather • MesoWest and ROMAN are software that require ongoing maintenance and development to provide access to surface environmental information for variety of operational applications • http://raws.wrh.noaa.gov/roman • Shoestring budget! San Diego Tribune. 28 Oct. 2003

  2. MesoWest • A cooperative program to collect, archive, and distribute environmental observations across the Nation with emphasis on the western United States • 200+ agencies/commercial firms • 1000s of HAM radio operators • 9000+ stations nationally (3500+ stations in western US) • Primary support: NWS and BLM • Considerable effort placed on basic metadata and MySQL database • Delivery of data via FTP,LDM, web portals • Traditional COOP reports in separate database • Integration of environmental and GIS information

  3. GACCs CWAs MODIS regions FWZs MesoWest • Observations from 70+ networks • Grown steadily since 1997 • Coordination with MADIS • Approx. 3900 temperature obs/hr • across the West ingested into ADAS • Variety of user interfaces States

  4. ASOS RAWS

  5. SNOTEL OTHER

  6. Metadata provided by station owners is integrated with GIS information to georeference objectively the data relative to: states and counties National Weather Service (NWS) County Warning Areas, forecast zones, and fire weather zones Land agency Geographic Coordinating Areas and Predictive Service Areas Locations of fires Topozone and google earth graphics available for every station

  7. Limitations of Observations- All That Is Labeled Data Is NOT Gold (Lockhart 2003) • References: • Challenges of Measurements. T. Lockhart (2003). Handbook of Weather, Climate and Water. Wiley & Sons. 695-710. • Review of the RAWS Network. Zachariassen et al. (2003). USDA Tech. Report RMRS-GTR-119. GNI

  8. Are All Observations Equally Bad? • All measurements have errors (random and systematic) • Errors arise from many factors: • Siting (obstacles, surface characteristics) • Exposure to environmental conditions (e.g., temperature sensor heating/cooling by radiation, conduction or reflection) • Sampling strategies • Maintenance standards • Metadata errors (incorrect location, elevation) SNZ

  9. Are All Observations Equally Good? • Why was the sensor installed? • Observing needs and sampling strategies vary (air quality, fire weather, road weather) • Station siting results from pragmatic tradeoffs: power, communication, obstacles, access • Use common sense • Wind sensor in the base of a mountain pass will likely blow from only two directions • Errors depend upon conditions (e.g., temperature spikes common with calm winds) • Use available metadata • Topography • Land use, soil, and vegetation type • Photos • Monitor quality control information • Basic consistency checks • Comparison to other stations UT9

  10. 9 -1 How representative can a single observation site be? • Adequate instrumentation • Good local siting • Response to synoptic • conditions can vary widely • over short distances • Persistent ridging can lead to • cold pools in basins and warm • temperature on slopes • Response dependent on snow • cover as well

  11. Sub-NDFD Grid Scale (5km) Variability in Terrain Height Dark > 200m Myrick and Horel (2006)

  12. MesoWest Density of Temperature Observations (A sz /#) METAR For sz= 200m Green: 1 stn every 50x50km2; Light red: 1 stn every 35x35 km2; Red: 1 stn every 25x25 km2

  13. ROMAN Goals • Maintain software that accesses RAWS data in ASCADS and make that data available for operational users in real time • Integrate RAWS, ASOS, and mesonet observations into one archival and display system to provide real-time weather data around the nation to meteorologists and land managers • Display data in fast-loading formats tailored to the wildland fire community and accessible to: • Top-level managers • Fire-behavior analysts and IMETs in the field • NWS WFO operations San Diego Tribune. 28 Oct. 2003

  14. How Mesonet Data Are Accessed and Delivered Other WR/WFO Apps MesoWest Database @WR Preprocessing @ WR Data Streams Web Server @ UU ROMAN Web Server @ WR ROMAN Database @WR Preprocessing @ WR Users RAWS In ASCADS Metadata/QC processing @ UU

  15. What Weather Information is Available? Search by: maps (state, CWAs, GACCs, etc.)

  16. What Weather Information is Available? Search by: zip code, geographic location, latitude/longitude

  17. What Has Been Happening Recently? 5-Day Max/Min Temperature, RH, Wind Speed

  18. What Are the Current Conditions?Weather Summary

  19. What Has Changed Since Yesterday?Trend Monitor

  20. What Extreme Conditions Are Underway?Weather Monitor

  21. How Much Precipitation Has Fallen? Monitor Summary

  22. Weather Near Fires

  23. Current Weather Near Fires

  24. Archived Fires

  25. Weather Near Fires: 31 October 2003

  26. October 31 MODIS Base Maps October 29

  27. What Do You Do if You Notice a Problem with MesoWest or ROMAN? • BIG problems: • Check the ROMAN status page (on left menu) • Send email to mesowest@met.utah.edu • If emergency, follow NWS WR procedures for contacting WR IT staff • Questions/QC concerns • Send email to mesowest@met.utah.edu

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