Columbia Weather Systems

A Pulsar™ 800 Weather Station is seen mounted on the roof of the Cedar Park Mobile Command Center as it responds to an incident (Photo courtesy of John Cummins / City of Cedar Park) Tornadoes, hailstorms, straight-line winds, thunderstorms, and flash floods can occur unexpectedly in Central Texas' s ubtropical, subhumid climate . This makes keeping a close eye on weather conditions a top concern for public safety officials. The City of Cedar Park, TX is prepared for emergencies with their Mobile Command Center, a joint-use resource for the Fire and Police Departments as well as the Central Texas Regional SWAT Team. A Pulsar 800™ Weather Station mounted on the vehicle allows decision makers to view current data quickly and easily. “The Mobile Command Center, as the name suggests, serves as a mobile incident command post for large-scale emergencies with prolonged operational periods,” their website states. The vehicle “is equipped with meeting rooms, workstations, display monit...

  There’s no substitute for immediate, accurate, on-site weather data... Unlike fixed-base versions , Mobile Weather Stations can be transported to different locations, allowing users to acquire meteorological data in varied or changing environments. This can be critical for first responders, work crews, or researchers who require accurate, on-site weather information for analysis and decision-making. Some Applications of Mobile Weather Stations Mobile weather stations serve a variety of critical functions across multiple industries, including: Outdoor Work Crews – Monitor on-site for heat stress or extreme cold Emergency Response – Optimize situational awareness to ensure safety of crew and public Military Operations – Support tactical decision-making based on environmental conditions Outdoor Events & Sports – Assist planning and safety at races, concerts, and other outdoor gatherings Environmental Research – Data collection to analyze the impact of weather conditions Cli...

  The Chatham County Emergency Operations Center in Pittsboro, NC MIND THE GAP: The reality is, relying on publicly available weather data doesn't get you the detailed, hyper-local information you need to make informed decisions. Chatham County Emergency Management in North Carolina recognized this dilemma and implemented a plan to increase weather monitoring coverage. Emergency Management Director Steve Newton described how: "Chatham County Emergency Management (Pittsboro, NC) partnered with the county’s Emergency Communications department to install Columbia Weather’s Orion sensors on public safety radio towers to fill gaps in weather information used to inform decision making at the Emergency Operations Center. "We installed fixed Orion Weather Monitoring Systems at radio towers in four “corners” of the county (NE, SE, SW, NW) and one centrally at the Emergency Operations Center." A view from the ground of an Orion Weather Station mounted on the ice bridge of a ra...