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Tracking on-site substation weather data

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Weather station upgrade College Station Utilities (CSU) provides electric, water, and wastewater services to residents across eastern Texas. Last year, an aging weather station led them to search for an accurate, reliable replacement. “These mechanical devices were getting older,” said SCADA Systems Analyst Robert Lawry, “and we started to lose some faith in the readings we were getting. That’s why we were looking to get an ‘all-in-one’ unit.” Above: An Orion Weather Station mounted on a College Station Utilities substation control building. Tracking on-site substation weather data for informed decisions CSU selected the Orion Weather Station and mounted it on the roof of a substation control building. “On-site weather data is important because we are now using this data in order to purchase power on the market,” Lawry explained. “This data is being used in historical calculations to help us do that. By combining this weather data with historical data, we can accurately predict o...
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February Happenings at Columbia Weather Systems

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February happenings! We enjoyed visits from friends at our sister company Hinds Instruments as well as gathering for our annual anniversary dinner at a local favorite, Stanford's . We’re grateful for the people who make Columbia Weather Systems what it is! ☀ Anniversary dinner at Stanford's Tanasbourne. Steak tips were a favorite at the anniversary dinner. David and Connie from Hinds Instruments dropped by for a tour and chat! Nader gives guests a tour of our facilities.
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Weather Station for Electra.Aero flight testing

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Accurate, On-Site Weather Monitoring for Flight Testing Electra.Aero is an aerospace company pioneering a hybrid-electric aircraft designed to take off and land in short distances. Their vision of "Direct Aviation" is built around the ability to operate aircraft in unconventional and often remote locations without established runways. An Electra aircraft takes off with a Magellan MX500 Portable weather station providing live data to the flight test team. “We’re able to deploy the Magellan MX and have real-time weather data available to the entire flight-test team in under five minutes, which has significantly improved both the safety and efficiency of our operations at Electra . . . Overall, the MX series delivers professional-grade capability with minimal setup, maintenance, or operational effort.” James Maxwell, Flight Test Operations Manager While this expands where operations are possible, it also introduces practical challenges during flight testing, particularly when i...
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Archie Williams - Meteorologist and Olympic Gold Medalist

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                        In honor of Black History Month and National Weather Person’s Day, we are highlighting the legacy of Archie Williams, an accomplished meteorologist, Olympic gold medalist, and educator. Born in 1915 in Oakland, California, Williams expressed an early interest in both aviation and athletics. While studying mechanical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, he excelled in track and field, setting a world record and qualifying for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he won a gold medal in the 400-meter race.                       After an injury ended his running career and engineering jobs were denied due to racial discrimination, Williams redirected his focus toward aviation and meteorology. During World War II, he became one of 14 African Americans commissioned through the Army Air Forces aviation meteorological cadet program. Following gr...
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Updated Resource for Emergency Response

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For incident commanders and emergency managers alike, localized meteorological data is no longer optional —it is a foundational input to risk management, operational strategy, and first responder safety. Weather monitoring assists in critical operational areas including safety, fire behavior, plume modeling, reporting, and drone operation. Read the updated resource: 5 Ways On-Scene Weather Data Benefits Emergency Response
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Heated Weather Sensor Options

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  Winter conditions bring snow, ice, and freezing precipitation, all of which can interrupt certain sensor measurements. Heated sensors help prevent buildup, assuring continuous operations in cold weather operations. We offer heated sensors for Orion™, Pulsar™, and some Magellan MX™ weather station models. A heated tipping bucket rain gauge is also available. Make sure your equipment is up for the task. Contact us to learn more about our heated sensor options. Visit our website for information about professional weather stations
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MicroServer Cybersecurity Firmware Update

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  The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Vulnerability Disclosure Program published an Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Advisory on January 6 documenting resolved vulnerabilities of the CWS MicroServer. As part of our ongoing commitment to the reliability, accuracy, and security of our products, Columbia Weather Systems engaged a third-party cybersecurity audit in August 2025 to evaluate the security of the MicroServer . In October 2025, this review identified three vulnerabilities, which CWS disclosed to CISA. Our development team acted quickly to address the findings. All identified issues were remediated and incorporated into MicroServer firmware version MS_4.1_14142. A follow-on assessment by the same third-party confirmed that the remediations were successful. We recommend all customers with a MicroServer update to firmware version MS_4.1_14142. Please contact our support team at support@columbiaweather.com or by phone at 503-629-0887.
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Thanks for your business in 2025!

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We’re grateful to help customers around the globe make better, weather-informed decisions every day. Thank you for being part of our 2025!
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A special visitor swung by the office...

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  Santa’s secret? Reliable weather data before a global delivery run! We were glad to help, and also sent him off with some CWS gear to stay warm on his route. Safe travels on your long journey! 🎅🏼❄️
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