Columbia Weather Systems

Traveling for the holidays? Make sure to “Know Before You Go” and prepare for winter driving with the following tips: 🛬  Check road conditions. Call 511 or visit your state’s DOT website. 🌨  Get the weather forecast. Change travel plans if hazardous weather is expected. 🧰  Pack an emergency supply kit. Stock your vehicle with the follow items: Water, a mobile phone, charger, batteries, blankets, flashlight, first-aid kit, candle, high-calorie, non-perishable food, sand or cat litter for traction, shovel, scraper, and battery booster cables. 🚘 ✅  Ready your vehicle. Check your battery, wipers, coolant, and other systems affected  by cold temperature. Make sure your tires have good tread. Clear snow, ice or dirt from windows, lights and camera.

“Our project manager selected the Capricorn Weather Station in part for… outstanding customer service for a superior product,” says a staff member at a National Park Visitor Center. The latest version of our flagship weather station, the cost-effective Capricorn FLX™ , offers modular sensor selection with proven reliable, mechanical wind sensors. Additional meteorological parameter measurements include humidity, tipping-bucket rain gauge, solar radiation, and up to four temperatures (ambient air, soil and/or water). Barometric pressure is housed in the central Control Module with two more analog input channels. Especially well-suited for installations requiring individual sensors for optimal sensor placement, Capricorn weather stations are trusted by government agencies and industry leaders such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Continental Tire, and L3 Technologies. For more details, visit our website .

Nader photographed this sun halo on a chilly morning this week. The optical phenomenon occurs when sunlight refracts and reflects through small ice crystals in the atmosphere. “You could see the frozen particles right there in front of you floating in the air,” he said. Sun halos aren’t likely to impact your business operations, but if frosty winter conditions do – give us a call!

The roof was blown off a building in Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, Canada, as high winds battered the area on November 29. The incident was brought to our attention by our customer Marine Atlantic. They contacted us with the data log file to help verify the wind speed at the time of the incident. The company operates the ferry service to Nova Scotia, and has an Orion Weather Station situated on an island not far from the building. The graph below shows a peak of 88.3 mph fo r the 10-minute average gust at about 8:30. According to local news reports, hurricane-strength winds caused widespread power outages and property damage to the region.  “Weather stations are working great and very pleased with the equipment,” they concluded. The company has multiple Orion Weather Stations with MicroServer, Weather Display console and WeatherMaster Software.  Roof Blown Off During Storm in Newfoundland Video

Do you wonder: “Why should we buy a weather station from Columbia Weather Systems?” One reason is exemplified in a recent order slated for Honduras. The customer requested an Orion™ Weather Station with a twist. He wanted to monitor the level and temperature of the water at his lakeside property. These sensors were easily incorporated via the Weather MicroServer™ with all parameters displayed on a Weather Display Console, as well as Weather Master™ Software . CWS offers customized weather monitoring solutions via: 1) a wide range of system configurations 2) with many sensor technologies, and 3) user-friendly monitoring options. What are your requirements? 

We are thankful for all of our customers!  🍁   Please note that our office will be closed Nov. 22 - 23.

Every year, hundreds of emergency responders are struck, injured or killed while traveling and tending to traffic incident scenes. National Traffic Incident Response Week is November 11-17 and aims to bring awareness to this problem. As temperatures continue to drop, this is an especially important reminder to keep an eye on weather and road conditions before and while traveling and to  # MoveOverSlowDown  when approaching and passing an incident scene.

“Flying buddy” preps for flight with local pilot at Fairbury Municipal Airport. Courtesy of Chad Sprunk.  Planes take off and land “into the wind” for faster liftoffs and to reduce the length of runway needed, according to Sandi Decker, manager at Fairbury (NE) Municipal Airport. Current weather conditions help determine which of the two runways is to be used for any given flight. The airport chose a Magellan MX500™ Weather Station with Weather Display Console for their requirements. The Weather Display is in the front office for pilots and staff to view. “I’m really pleased with it,” says Sandi. So pleased that she recommended the Magellan MX Weather Station to nearby Seward Municipal Airport. Thanks, Sandi!

Pulsar 600 Weather Station mounted on Mobile Weather Vehicle of WCSH6 in Maine. "The best technology when it comes to data collection for weather" according to a popular broadcast meteorologist. Our top-of-the-line Pulsar™ weather station model offers all-in-one sensor module with several parameter configurations to choose from. Advanced features include Doppler radar for precipitation measurement with type and intensity, ultrasonic wind measurement with 0-75 meters per second range, and electronic compass for auto-alignment of wind direction. The Pulsar line is popular for television station mobile weather labs and other applications requiring high accuracy such as Siemens, AT&T, and Raytheon. For more details, visit our website.

The event was held at OMSI in Portland Last weekend Nader and Gary represented CWS at the 26th Annual Winter Weather Forecast Conference hosted by the Oregon Chapter of the American Meteorological Society . Gary talks to attendees at the CWS booth. Over 300 weather enthusiasts gathered at OMSI to hear local experts. Here’s a recap: Mark Nelsen from KPTV and KPDX TV reviewed last winter’s weather, celebrating correct predictions and needling the incorrect ones. Jim Todd of OMSI filled us in on astronomical events of the last year, including launches by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Tyree Wilde from NOAA, Rod Hill from KGW-TV and Kyle Dittmer from the Columbia River Inter Tribal Fish Commission predicted warmer temperatures, with estimates of snowpack and the number of snow events in Portland varied. CWS is proud to participate with our local chapter of the AMS. We enjoy the monthly meetings, and the Winter Weather Conference is the highlight of the year! In case you missed

“Science is not a boy’s game, it’s not a girl’s game. It’s everyone’s game. It’s about where we are and where we’re going.” Nichelle Nichols of Star Trek is Engineering 360's Woman of the Week!  Read the article here. --- # Nasa   # startrek

Happy to share this inspiring Woman of the Week blog post featuring NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg. (Especially since NASA is a CWS customer.) Click Here for the article.

Weather-triggered music is played over dozens of speakers in the building. “Earth as Inspiration” is the theme for this year’s Earth Science Week, organized by the American Geosciences Institute. We thought it would be a fitting time to highlight this unique customer application: Portland-based musician Ethan Rose used a CWS Orion Weather Station to create an art installation based on current weather conditions for Microsoft’s building in Redmond, WA. Temperature, wind, precipitation and cloud cover data is transformed into musical sounds which play over dozens of speakers in the lobby. An Orion Weather Station is mounted on the roof, measuring weather data to be converted into musical sounds. Video and full story here:  https://columbiaweather.com/news/archive/2015/weather-as-art/ http://www.ethanrosemusic.com/elements

This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere,” works to educate people on three basic but essential steps to take to reduce the likelihood of having a fire––and how to escape safely in the event of one: LOOK for places fire can start LISTEN for the sound of the smoke alarm LEARN two ways out of each room Visit  https://www.nfpa.org/  for more information on fire prevention in your home or business. # FirePreventionWeek   # FirePreventionWeek2018   # FireSafety

Can you Imagine A Day Without Water? Tomorrow is a day to reflect about how much water we use -- not just in drinking -- but how much water it takes to produce so many of the foods we eat and products we use.  One affirmative action is to thank the water professionals who help provide that water to us. Celebrating  WaterProfessionalsWeek  (is it just in California?) we want to give a shout out to our local Hillsboro partner  Clean Water Services  for winning third pla ce in the Intelligent Water Systems Challenge last week at  WEFTEC2018 . The competition challenged students and professionals to use innovation and data to help solve “real-world problems” facing water and wastewater utilities. Eileen O’Neill, executive director for the Water Environment Federation (WEF), says, “Our hope is that the Intelligent Water Challenge will demonstrate the value of intelligent water systems to utilities and help foster the adoption of smart water technologies.” What is Smart Water?

The 26th Annual Winter Weather Forecast Conference is coming up! Save the date for Saturday, October 27th at the  Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)  to hear Meteorologists from across the PNW give their predictions for the upcoming winter. The event is hosted by the  Oregon Chapter of The American Meteorological Society (AMS)  and is open to the public with all ages welcome.

Today is Manufacturing day, a national celebration of modern manufacturing and the opportunities it provides within the U.S. We are proud to be an American manufacturing company, providing professional weather monitoring equipment for over 35 years and trusted by industry and government agencies worldwide. Learn more about our products as well as Manufacturing Day at the links below. “Manufacturing Day showcases how important the sector is for economic growth and job creation. We are able to show what manufacturing is all about — a high-skilled, technology-driven industry that offers secure, good-paying jobs” says John W. Kennedy, CEO of the NJ Manufacturing Extension Program. http://bit.ly/ColumbiaWeather https://www.mfgday.com/

We enjoyed a visit from  Matt Zaffino , Chief Meteorologist at  KGW-TV   yesterday. It's not often that we get visitors, so if you're interested in learning more about us, drop by and we'll show you around!

All hands on deck - shipping a record-setting order to the Department of Homeland Security. We also got the order out the door ahead of schedule. Great job, team! Shout out to our UPS driver! Celebrating the occasion with sparkling cider.

Is your business prepared? According to the NOAA, the U.S. experienced a historic year of weather-related disasters in 2017. Extreme weather and other emergencies can cause tens of thousands of damages for small businesses. For the last week of National Preparedness Month, access resources from Ready.gov to be better prepared for the future. If your company operations are affected by weather conditions, contact us for professional monitoring solutions.  

We celebrated September birthdays in the office today! Also, our Presentations resource page is online with updated Powerpoint slides including a User Guide for each of our weather station models. This is particularly useful for our dealers and resellers who request sales tools. Let us know if you need a presentation customized for your application. Click Here to View

It is week three of National Preparedness Month - here are some timely recommendations from FEMA.

After Hurricane Irma, the Boca Raton Fire Department turned to CWS for accurate weather data in preparation for future storms. With a network of Orion™ Weather Stations utilizing the CWS Cloud Weather Server, the Boca Emergency Operations Center is now able to determine whether it is safe to send out First Responders in risky weather conditions. Thanks WPTV for the highlight!

September is National Preparedness Month , and this week’s theme is “Learn Life-Saving Skills”. Find out six things you should know before disaster strikes in this brief video from FEMA. As Weather Ready Nation Ambassadors, we also encourage having access to accurate weather data both in preparation for and during emergencies like storms and wildfires. Click Here for Columbia Weather Systems Website

Mechanical wind sensors on the test bench. As a component of the modular Capricorn FLX™ Weather Station, these reliable wind speed and direction sensors offer a cost-effective option for professional weather monitoring. The Capricorn’s modular design allows for individual sensor selection and placement, including up to four temperature sensors. A descendant of the flagship Capricorn Weather Station, the Capricorn line of weather stations is popular worldwide with government agencies, military, universities, and companies such as Continental Tires, Boeing, and Walsh Construction. For more info, visit: http://bit.ly/CapricornFlx

Happy Meteorological Autumn! September is National Preparedness Month. So if changing conditions impact your operations, keep an eye on the weather with a Weather Station from CWS.  Click here for tips on how to be prepared: https://www.ready.gov/be-informed Photo Credit: Nader Khoury --- #WeatherReadyNation #WRN #FallWeather #FallSafety #WeatherMonitoring #Weatherdata #WeatherStations

If you’re thinking about a new Fire Station, early-bird registration ends tomorrow, August 31 for the FIERO Fire Station Design Symposium coming up in Raleigh, NC, September 24-26 . This article by Alan Petrillo caught our eye several times recently —  “Architect Advice for Fire Departments Designing New Stations.”  Here are the recommendations from experts in the field: Create an outline of rooms with list/description of equipment in each room Consider polished concrete floors Get input up and down chain of command, including different age groups “You want to get the input of the boots on the ground who will be using the station to be designed,” says James Zwerg, architect and facilities manager for the Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department Protection from contaminants might include a decon zone as well as transition area to limit carcinogen transfer. Isolate hot zones from living areas. Additional considerations include gender issues, Americans with Disabilities Act,

From the front page of the Oregonian 8/29, “Microclimates of Portland.”*  Influenced by both the built and natural environments, weather conditions can vary widely based on location. That’s why monitoring meteorological parameters on-site can be critical to efficiency, operations, and safety.  Weather stations from Columbia Weather Systems offer cost-effective options for local, professional weather monitoring.  * https://www.oregonlive.com/expo/news/erry-2018/08/92d2d4b48a8641/hot-or-not-research-maps-hotte.html#incart_m-rpt-2

The Cell Modem communication option with the Weather MicroServer provides a remote connection to the Internet, enabling functions such as real-time data viewing, downloading datalog files, and connection to a cloud server such as Weather Underground or the proprietary CWS Cloud Weather Server. It is used by local government agencies, landfills, and weather networks. For more details, check out the MicroServer page on our website and navigate to the “Communication” tab.

According to Tom Francis, Utilities Scientific Consultant at the  UK Met Office , "The operational and financial performance of a water company is inextricably linked to weather conditions."  Here's our infographic with 5 Reasons #SmartWater #Utilities Need a Weather Station. To expand on these ideas, see the white paper at  https://columbiaweather.com/resources/5-reasons-water-utilities/

The Air Quality Index in the Portland Area reached "Unhealthy" levels this week. With our recent expansion into Air Quality , it was fortuitous that the National Ambient Air Monitoring Conference was in Portland this year. Somewhat ironically, with the wildfires across the western United States, the air quality in the Portland metro area has been some of the worst ever. Note the chart showing particulates PM10 and PM2.5, 24-hrAvg, for the past few days from our on-site Orion AQM. The sun appears to be a deep red as fires from surrounding areas continue to burn and affect air quality. The conference drew air quality monitoring agencies and vendors from all over the country. One highlight of the conference was seeing the SciArk™ by Envirolytics which features our Magellan MX500™ Weather Station . The SciArk is “a field-deployable, alternate-fuel, EPA certified, zero emissions, solar and wind assisted mobile lab.”  Envirolytics CEO Alan Joseph shows

A few weeks ago Portland Fire and Rescue HazMat Response Team responded to a rail car leaking Toluene, a colorless, water-insoluble liquid that smells like paint thinners and can be flammable. Some nearby buildings were evacuated, while others were told to shelter in place. Highway 30 was closed for several hours. When asked whether their Orion Nomad™ Portable Weather Station was deployed, Fire Lieutenant Bryan Profit replied, “Yes – Thanks for a great product.” Portland F&R purchased weather stations in conjunction with Tualatin Valley F&R and Gresham F&R to outfit Hazmat response teams in the Portland metro area. Their weather stations include Weather Display consoles and WeatherMaster Software for integration with CAMEO/ALOHA. Hazmat team positions include Resource Technical Specialist responsible to “Provide and interpret meteorological monitoring information,” as well as the Team leader who “Ensures that current weather data and future weather prediction

The Albany-Millersburg Water Reclamation Facility was the destination for our field trip last week. About two years ago, the City of Albany Public Works Department purchased an Orion 420 Weather Station to replace aging mechanical equipment. We took advantage of their proximity to learn more about weather monitoring for water/wastewater treatment. The Weather Display is mounted on the wall along with other monitors to keep an eye on activity across the facility.  Orion all-in-one sensor with ultrasonic wind speed and direction and impact rain sensor.  Chris explains the process of wastewater treatment. Aaron monitors met data with WeatherMaster Software. Thanks to Christopher Burr and Aaron Budiselich of the Facilities Automation team, our hosts for the tour!

HeatRisk is a tool that gives a visual of potential heat risk levels. Developed by the National Weather Service, its data factors in previous high/low temperatures, seasonality, and duration of unusual heat expected according to each location.  Use this free online resource this summer to plan ahead and be prepared for unusual heat events: http://bit.ly/NOAA-HeatRisk

We received a visit from the University of Minnesota Solar Vehicle Project Team on their way home from the American Solar Challenge which finished in Bend, Oregon. Columbia Weather donated a Magellan MX500™ weather station to the project. The weather station is mounted on the lead vehicle (See video above) and is used for strategy data. Met data is correlated with course info and car data to optimize speed and energy consumption. Racing in the Cruiser Class of Multi-Occupancy Vehicles, UMNSVP placed first in the Formula Sun Grand Prix (a track-based qualifier) and second in the ASC. Congratulations and thanks for stopping by!

Highlighting some key points in a recent Water Online article “Making the Most of Data in a Digitalized World” (June 22, 2018) that relate as well to weather monitoring in the water treatment and wastewater treatment industries. Diverse Data Collection. Intelligent instrumentation provides added-value data for end users beyond its primary function. Control-Oriented Data Management. Cloud-based (or network) infrastructure helps more people access, monitor, and act upon data specific to WTP/WWTP needs. Data-Driven Decision-Making. Value lies in the ability to provide better perspective for informed decisions. Look Forward, Not Just Backward. Maximize value by using historical data trends to program systems to respond at appropriate levels of control needed to maintain optimum performance. Optimize Efficiency for Compliance and Conservation. In times of water scarcity any data that improves efficiency helps preserve precious water and energy resources. M