Automatic Weather/Surface Observing System
The ALAC Weather Service in Madison/Middleton, WI has an automatic weather observing system (AWOS) set-up to automaticlly observe the current conditions.
Our AWOS is an Oregon Scientific Weather Station, and it complies with the National Weather Service's COOP Observer requirments and the CWOP Program.
Below is some information on a few of our sensors, along with pictures! For questions, or information on how to by one, please email Austin at:
austin.lacey@alacweather.com
OREGON SCIENTIFIC WEATHER STATION:
Our wind spee
d and direction sensor is mounted on top of our chimney, and measures the wind speed and direction 24 hours a day! This sensor sends the data to our monitor along with all the other sensors. It is a very important part in determining whether a severe wind gust occured during a severe storm in our office's location. It also has a lightning sensor on top of the sensor. This will tell in our current observation if a thunderstorm is present. This will also tell whether it is cloudy, partly cloudy, sunny, mostly sunny, partly sunny, clear, reports fog, or reports haze. This again, is another important role in our observations.
Temperature Humidity Dew Point and WindChill/HeatIndex Sensor:
Also included in an Automatic Weather Observing System is a Temperature, Relative Humidity, Dew Point, and Wind Chill/Heat Index senor. This sensor will observe those things listed in the title of the sensor. As you can see in the picture of our sensor, we have installed a Stevenson Shelter in the "Bee-Hive" design. What this does is it protects are data from being read as a "sun" temperature. This makes a big factor! While the shade temperature may only be 85 degrees, the sun temperature may be as high as 105 degrees! This is VERY important when taking daily high and low temperatures, as we do.
Pr
ecipitation Sensor and Rain Gage:
One more sensor included in our system is a Precipitation Sensor and Rain Gage. First of all, the precipitation sensor buit-in determines what type of precipitation is falling, and how intese it is. (i.e. light rain, rain, heavy rain, drizzle, hail, snow, light snow, heavy snow, and mixed precipitation) This will show up on our observations. Then, our rain gage, which is built-in with our Precipitation Sensor measures the precipiation. It has an accuracy of 0.01mm. Which is the same accuracy as the airport observations. This is an automatic rain gage, so that means that we do not have to empty it, or have to go out to it to read its recordings. Its data, along with all of our sensors are sent to our weather station, and are then processed into our computer system.
For additional information on our AWOS/ASOS, please email info@alacweather.com we will answer any questions you have! Also, if you are interested in purchasing one, we can give you places to buy, and ones we reccomend.