Columbia Weather Systems

May is  National Wildfire Awareness Month , and as Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors, we are highlighting the importance of fire prevention and preparedness. Click here to learn more . We believe Incident Response can be safer and more effective with weather monitoring capabilities.  Read our white paper "Five Reasons Incident Response Needs a Weather Station" here.

Yesterday we celebrated Grace Henry, who has been with CWS since 2005 and our sister company Hinds Instruments since 1995. We’re sad to see her go, but grateful for the time she has spent with us. Here’s to a well-deserved, relaxing retirement! Catching up with old friends and colleagues. Jeff, Grace, and Martha with the lovely cake! Nader presented Grace with a wooden, hand-crafted cutting board.

Weather Stations from Columbia Weather Systems come standard with a one-year warranty included in the purchase price. Occasionally, a customer asks for an Extended Warranty which is available for all weather station models. An example might be a large company purchasing their weather station through a contractor, who might have a service agreement and want to warrant the station for the life of the agreement. Even though our weather stations are reliable – and as one Fire Captain says, “virtually Fire Fighter Proof” – these advanced weather stations contain sensitive electronic components and sometimes it makes sense to purchase longer-term protection for your weather station investment. Factory warranty extensions cover all weather station components and are offered in additional one-year increments up to a maximum total of five years. The Free One-Year Standard Factory Warranty and the Extended Factory Warranty do not cover damage due to normal wear and tear, exceptional oper...

We are happy to welcome Alex Pulido as a permanent, full-time employee. Alex started as a web application development intern from Portland Community College two years ago, and has been working as a part-time contractor since then. His new role will encompass production system integration, as well as software/web development. In his spare time, Alex enjoys disc golf and cooking. Alex Pulido

Just in time for Air Quality Awareness Week... A new self-guided presentation provides an overview of the new Orion AQM Air Quality Monitoring System with details on sensor components and features. Compactly designed to help make our environment a healthier and safer place by measuring, analyzing, and understanding the data of air pollution, the Orion AQM is easily deployable in air quality monitoring networks for urban areas, industrial sites, and transportation hubs. Orion AQM measures the most common gaseous pollutants nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone, with near-reference measurement performance. Incorporating temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure, algorithms compensate for the impact of ambient conditions on the sensor elements. Additionally, Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10) in the ambient air is measured with the AQM Plus. Proprietary algorithms enable ppb measurements at an affordable price using electrochemical sensors. Link to...

Looking forward to  Northwest Fire & Rescue Exposition  May 16-17. Admission is free -- visit us at booth #39!

We enjoyed a visit from Robert and Josefa of ShipNet Information Systems, who stopped by yesterday to pick up a recently ordered Orion LX weather station and get a tour of our facilities.  ShipNet is based in Gibsons, British Columbia, and “provides shippers, charterers and shipowners with timely, detailed, accurate and simplified precipitation reporting solutions for weather sensitive cargoes.”  If you are in our the area and want to drop by – we welcome visitors! Visit their website: ShipNet.com Nader gave Josefa and Robert a tour of CWS.

Rain, wind, snow or sun – the crews are out on the streets working to repair, improve, and maintain our transportation, water/sewer, and energy infrastructure. Many government agencies and construction companies use met stations from Columbia Weather to help make decisions about outdoor work that is weather-dependent such as operating equipment and personnel safety. For National Work Zone Awareness Week , this video highlights some tips you may not have considered . Bottom line – this is important work, so take care for your own sake and the safety of the crew. Thanks to those who brave the elements to improve our lives!

New upgrade for Weather MicroServer enhances security. Cyber-security can be a factor when customers consider adding a weather station to their network. A new Weather MicroServer firmware update offers network security enhancements, addressing potential vulnerabilities identified through third-party independent testing.  The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIS), a division of the US Department of Homeland Security, has issued an advisory reporting that the new version “addresses all the above vulnerabilities found on the Weather MicroServer.” Also of note, “No known public exploits specifically target these vulnerabilities.” As always, if your weather station includes a Weather MicroServer, contact CWS for a no-charge firmware upgrade. For equipment purchased prior to September 2015, a hardware upgrade also may be required. Please contact Columbia Weather Systems via phone (503-629-0887) or email support@columbiaweather.com. If network se...