Columbia Weather Systems

Are noxious odors a problem at your local wastewater plant? A recent Wastewater Digest article* makes some important points about Odor Control: 🔽 1️⃣. It is a common problem: “At some point, every wastewater treatment plant or water resource recovery facility has been subject to comments, concerns or questions about wastewater odor.” 2️⃣. It is a growing concern: “While treatment plants generally are constructed away from residential areas, communities grow and change. Housing developments close in on the proximity to the treatment plants, which then results in more concerns and complaints about offensive odors.” 3️⃣. It can be a public safety issue: “… odor control can be useful for addressing public safety and the health of a wastewater collection system.” A key component noxious odor prevention and mitigation is weather monitoring. Parameters like temperature, wind speed and direction, as well as humidity and rainfall, all impact. Check out our white paper 5 Reasons Smart Water Uti...

“Most mines can be environmentally challenging to work in. Dust, moisture, water run-off, and outdoor exposure to sunlight, wind and rain can have an impact on the equipment, operators, and the community living nearby.” Environmental monitoring is critical for mining operations according to a recent article about technology advances in the mining industry.* The author specifically mentions the Orion Weather Station from Columbia Weather Systems, citing “a number of examples that need to be monitored on an ongoing basis… [with] the ability to pull data from a number of different monitoring or weather stations that have been employed around mine sites. For example, the Orion Weather Station with the MicroServer will allow interface via SNMP over the Ethernet network to obtain the following data: ➡️ Temperature ➡️ Relative humidity ➡️ Digital barometer ➡️ Ultrasonic wind direction & speed ➡️ Impact rain “These weather stations can be positioned at different points around the mine site...

Mobile Weather Lab reporting out in a snowstorm. “To be honest I was skeptical that the Pulsar would last very long on the roof of a Chevy Suburban deliberately driven through our crazy Colorado weather,” broadcast engineer Chris Jones described how they use their CWS weather stations at KCNC – CBS4 in Denver, CO. The station utilizes Pulsar™ Weather Stations with MicroServers and WeatherMaster™ Software for both their Mobile Weather Lab and their fixed-base rooftop equipment. “To my pleasant surprise the device was rock solid reliable and comes online very quickly. In our weatherlab your weather stations are used for ‘show and tell’ and adds to the visual storytelling for the viewer. CWS tech Vincent has done some recent work to customize their WeatherMaster software with the CBS logo as well as screen size to better fit their monitor: Customized WeatherMaster software with the CBS logo. ➡️ Read the full application note here .

Meteorologist Gerard Jebaily of 41 KSHB captured this fantastic photo of a half-mile wide tornado with the news station’s Storm Tracker Jeep . The vehicle features a Magellan MX600 Weather Station and Weather Display console mounted on the dashboard inside. Parameters measured include wind speed and direction, air pressure, temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall. Purchased in 2017, “The system is still in the field and working wonderfully,” commented Jay Nix, KSHB Director of Engineering. The Magellan MX line of weather stations is ideal for mobile applications, combining a multi parameter weather sensor with GPS and an internal compass for automatic self-alignment of wind direction.  For details, click here . Photo courtesy of Gerard Jebaily, KSHB 41 News

  If video does not load, click here to view In this 5-minute video clip, CWS President Nader Khoury walks through a recent order for General Electric (GE) Bahrain. This Capricorn FLX™Weather Station includes mechanical wind speed and direction, temperature and humidity sensors in a radiation shield, tipping bucket rain gauge, solar radiation sensor, and barometric pressure. This particular system offers 4-20 mA signal interface for PLC as well as a Weather MicroServer datalogger for network connection and additional industrial protocols. Our systems are built to order and assembled according to customer requirements. Our job is to make weather monitoring easy, so you can do your job better! Give us a call or visit our website for more information.

T his National First Responder's Day, we recognize the men and women who serve our communities and help make them a safer place to live. Thank you! CWS is proud to equip first responders with professional weather monitoring equipment across the United States and beyond. Built by LDV, this Incident Command Center for Avondale AZ Police Department Police/Fire & Medical is outfitted with a Magellan MX500™ Weather Station with Weather Display console from CWS for monitoring on-site met data. Environmental awareness is critical to the safety of public and crew. Click here for a virtual tour  of the Avondale Police/Fire & Medical Incident Command Center Weather Display  installed on the vehicle interior shows weather data from the Magellan MX500 Weather Station.

“ H aving the best up-to-date information on when to shelter in place from hurricanes” was the goal for Tidelands Health to purchase Orion weather stations for two hospitals in South Carolina. Patrick J. Devlin is Director of Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness for Tidelands. An early adopter of the CWS Cloud Weather Server, Devlin describes how he shares meteorological data regularly with staff and first responders and that it helps with real-time decision making: “This is the link I drive our organization and partners to due to the security of it not having to access our secure network.” Recently put to the test with Hurricane Isaias, Devlin commented, “We were able to monitor the storm through the cloud server. I was monitoring things from home and had no issues. I also know the weather stations were pulled up in the county emergency operations center and 911 center. It has been a great tool for us to share with our local emergency responders.” Thanks for the update! The CW...

Today is Haiku Day, a time to celebrate the Japanese short form poetry typically constructed of three lines of five, seven, and five syllables, respectively. We asked some kids to share their weather haikus. Take a look: “Wolf Wind” Wind blows fast and fast! It howls like an angry wolf. The wind stings me now! — Julianne, age 7 Defining cloud shapes A sunny rainy rainbow Wish for thunderstorms — Ellie, age 8 “Bird Spikes” Robin wants to rest On these funny sticks? OK! Ouch! Away I go! — Lucia, age 10 “Comfort for a Rainy Day” My mother bakes pies She cooks them to perfection My mom likes to cook  —Isaac, 12 Four distinct seasons Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter We enjoy it all — Ella, age 15 Lots of lots of snow The dark winter comes to life Every snowflake’s different  — Carly, age 15 Now it’s your turn! Write your own weather haiku and post it in the comments for a chance to win a Columbia Weather ...

WeatherMaster™ software is a key component of 13 WHAM ABC television station’s Mobile Weather Tracker. With data gathered from a Magellan MX500™ mounted on the vehicle, meteorologists can easily monitor and broadcast met data in real-time. According to Chief Meteorologist Glenn Johnson, “The display gives us an uncluttered easy-to-read view on the weather.” WHAM Mobile Weather Authority features the Magellan MX500 Weather Station. Weather Master customized with 13WHAM logo . Weather Master features include: Real-time sensor monitoring plus calculated parameters Data logging and reports Alarm notification and relay control Automatically update weather data to website Automatic interface to Weather Underground Integrating cutting-edge technology in met sensor and monitoring options, our job is to make weather monitoring easy, so professionals like the team at 13WHAM can focus on doing their job best. Click here for more information on WeatherMaster software .

In this 4-minute video, Columbia Weather Systems technical support guru Vincent explains the process of installing an Orion weather station all-in-one sensor module with ultrasonic wind speed and direction, impact rain sensor, temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. Video includes description of the sensor, alignment of wind direction, connection of lightning arrestor, Interface Module and connections to various weather monitoring options. At Columbia Weather Systems, our job is to make weather monitoring easy so you can do your job better! Click here for more information on Orion Weather Stations . (If video does not appear, click here .)

Customization is key ... every system we build is custom-engineered, from the sensor integration to packaging. This Magellan MX™500 sensor module is destined for a Portable Weather Station system. In this video, Alex is trimming the liner for the transportation case with his ingenious hot-wire foam cutter. The foam insert keeps the sensitive electronics, including the meteorological sensor module, and other components from shifting during a potentially rugged deployment. ➡️ Click here for more information about Magellan MX Weather Stations .

We had some special visitors in the office! These second and fourth graders are studying weather in school and stopped by to learn how our meteorological instruments are built and used to monitor the weather. 🌦 Nader explains the bird spikes. A quick look at the sensors mounted on the roof of our office. The girls shared a photo of their homemade anemometer. Nice work! Thanks for stopping by!

Get a head start on holiday gifts for the weather enthusiast in your life! Here are some ideas: 1. A Cloud A Day - Gavin Pretor Pinney  Cloud spotter and bestselling author Gavin Pretor-Pinney delivers a moment of calm atmospheric contemplation in this new book featuring stunning cloud images, facts, and inspirational quotes.  Order it here . 2. Interactive Wood "Weather Station" by Odin Parker With moveable temperature, wind, and humidity dials and sliders, this interactive “weather station” toy is perfect for budding meteorologists. It is made of beech wood from sustainable forests and non-toxic paint. Order it here . 3. American Meteorological Society 2020 Weather History Calendar 2020 is just around the corner, and the AMS Centennial Weather History Calendar is now available! Each month features a beautiful photo and details fascinating facts, dates, and records from 100 years of weather, water, and climate history. Order it here .

The tower is thought to be the first weather station. CWS President Nader shared this photo of the “Tower of the Winds” from a recent trip to Athens, Greece. The 2,000 year-old tower sits on Athens' ancient Acropolis hill and is said to be the first weather station constructed. In its prime, the building featured a wind vane, sun dials, and a large water-clock. While we don’t have quite the legacy of this historical meteorological station, we have shipped professional weather monitoring equipment around the globe for over 35 years! Visit our website for more information — and don’t worry, our weather stations are much smaller.  😉

October 4th is  Manufacturing Day , a national celebration of modern manufacturing and the opportunities it provides. 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. “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 indu stry that offers secure, good-paying jobs” says John W. Kennedy, CEO of the NJ Manufacturing Extension Program. Learn more about our products and Manufacturing Day at the links below: ColumbiaWeather.com Mfgday.com

⛈  A massive thunderstorm rolled through this past Tuesday and was captured on the Weather Master™ trend graph screen, which revealed over an inch of rainfall in a 30-minute time period. While Oregon is known for its rain, this amount is pretty unusual for us! Click here more information on Weather Master software .

Check out this impressive Mobile Command Center from LDV for DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency featuring an Orion Weather Station and display. 🙌🏽 Photos courtesy of LDV

“Pendleton Firefighters extinguished a semi trailer full of hazardous materials this morning on Interstate 84. Hazmat technicians from our regional team are on scene…” Oregon Fire Marshall Hazmat units are equipped with vehicle-mounted weather stations from Columbia Weather and deployed for incidents like this one. Originally shared by Pendleton Professional Firefighters Local 2296.  Pendleton firefighters and Hazmat units respond to an interstate incident. A burning semi trailer with hazardous materials was extinguished. On-site wind speed and direction data can be critical for incidents requiring hazmat deployment. 

🍩  Happy National Doughnut Day! While we can't supply you with doughnuts, we do offer professional weather stations with instantaneous, on-site weather data -- and friendly customer service to boot. Call us if you need help finding a weather station that is right for your industry. Image source:  http://www.mikesmithenterprisesblog.com/2013/04/sunday-funny-homer-meets-500mb-chart.html

Cloud Base has been added to the suite of available measurements with the CWS monitoring options including WeatherMaster Software™ , the Weather MicroServer™ , and coming soon to the Weather Display Console . This feature was requested by our long-time customer CW Price, a supplier to the aviation industry based in South Africa. An important meteorological variable for aviation safety, cloud base can help determine whether pilots may use visual flight rules or instrument flight rules for take-off and landing. The height of the cloud base can be measured using a ceilometer, a pretty expensive piece of equipment. Alternatively, The US Federal Aviation Administration, and other agencies, suggest a calculated measurement to estimate the cloud base from surface measurements of air temperature and humidity by calculating the lifted condensation level. The calculated parameter of cloud base is available with any CWS weather station that measures air temperature and relative humidity. ...