Columbia Weather Systems

In our latest video, Alex Pulido gives an overview of how the Weather MicroServer works. With the ability to interface to any of our weather station models, this powerful communication device lets you access real-time met data from anywhere in the world. The Weather MicroServer is a data logger and powerful communication device compatible with all of our weather stations. It includes a web browser user interface that allows for configuration and displays the current weather readings. The Main Dashboard displays real-time data for the main meteorological parameters, including a wind direction dial with a 30-second standard deviation.  The Auxiliary Screen shows real-time data for additional sensors if connected such as solar radiation and visibility, as well as calculated parameters.  The Trend Screen shows a graph of one or two selected parameters for the current day.  The Latest Measurements tab displays real-time values of all available parameters. It provides Int...

  T he first day of fall is September 22! Ever wonder how weather conditions affect autumn colors? As days get shorter and trees are exposed to less sunlight, the chlorophyll pigment that produces the dominating green color begins to fade, revealing the other colors beneath. According to the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), a succession of warm and rainy days means less intense hues, while warm days paired with cooler evenings without frost produce the most brilliant fall colors.  Photo credit: CWS President Nader Khoury

This new video (about 3 minutes) gives an overview of CWS’s proprietary weather monitoring software with WeatherMaster 5.0™ PC software offering:  Real-time met sensor monitoring including calculated parameters Data logging, trend graphs, and reports Multi-station monitoring Alarm notification Automatic CAMEO/ALOHA interface for hazardous chemical plume modeling  Automatic interface to Weather Underground Click here for more information on WeatherMaster 5.0

Cleanspark, a microgrid company with controls for distributed energy resource management systems, uses a Solar 2 Weather Station from Columbia Weather Systems to give context to their performance metrics. They use weather-corrected solar generation data, based on measured irradiance from the weather station, versus modeled irradiance when calculating actual performance versus modeled for contractual obligations. Additionally, weather data “will be the basis of certain alarm conditions as well as reporting,” according to Bryan Huber, chief operations officer. “Weather information is highly useful for load and production forecasting.” Based on the CWS’s flagship Capricorn model, the Solar 2 Weather Station includes barometric pressure, mechanical wind speed and direction sensors, and temperature and humidity sensors housed in a radiation shield, in addition to panel temperature and solar radiation sensors. Individual sensors allow for optimal sensor placement. A custom sensor c...

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 ...

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.  

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

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/

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!

Last week we received a call from Air Liquide, an industrial gas production company, for help connecting their Orio­n Weather Station™ to Weather Underground® in anticipation of Hurricane Harvey. All CWS weather stations can feed data automatically from WeatherMaster ™ software or the Weather MicroServer ™ to Weather Underground, where the information is readily available online. Click Here for instructions on how to connect your CWS weather station to Weather Underground. Graph of Air Liquide’s data from Weather Underground for Sunday, August 27. Note significantly high winds between 3:30 and 10:00 p.m. (gusts up to 42 mph) with lowered air pressure.

Thinking ahead to New Year Resolutions, Columbia Weather Systems is in the process of implementing the first phase of our cloud-based Weather Server, available with any of our weather stations through the Weather MicroServer device. Current weather data can be automatically uploaded from the weather station to the cloud Weather Server on a 5 second interval. Customers will be able to view the real-time Display Screen using a browser from anywhere on the Internet. WeatherMaster software will be able to connect to the cloud to monitor and store the data from a remote weather station. The Weather Server is a solution for customers that are unable to upload data (via FTP) to their website or implement port forwarding for the MicroServer in order to access it directly from outside the network. Both of these options are often not available due to limited access to corporate websites and increased security restrictions. The Weather Server will offer an automatic way to view the weathe...

The Weather MicroServer now supports SNMP v3 which adds privacy and authentication to the Simple Network Management Protocol. SNMP is an Internet-standard protocol for managing and monitoring devices on IP networks for “conditions that warrant administrative attention.” Developed for a U.S. Air Force technology application, this MicroServer upgrade will benefit any SNMP user who requires a high level of security. For more information: Weather MicroServer The Pulsar Weather Station with Weather MicroServer offers SNMP interface, commonly used in the telecommunications industry.