Citizen Science Puts Weather Reporting in Your Hands

A distant shower falls over Mount Martha, NH (aka, Cherry Mountain).

If you’re anything like me, you probably have an app or two dedicated to weather on your phone. Maybe you have a preferred app for weather forecasts, another for radar data, and yet another for satellite data. Or maybe instead of apps, you have several go-to websites bookmarked for various weather data.

Weather information keeps us informed so that we can prepare appropriately for the weather ahead, short-term or long-term. With colder weather in the forecast, we might pack a few extra layers or pull in a few more logs for the stove. Or, we might receive a warning about a severe storm heading your direction, and so we pack up, head indoors, and keep an eye on its progress.

While your favorite apps or websites might be providing you with weather data, did you know there are a few apps/sites that you can utilize and provide current weather data to aid in research as a citizen scientist?

Here are some apps that I have on my phone and might be of interest to you:

Mountain Rain or Snow

Remote sensing is improving and aiding in filling weather data gaps. However, precipitation phase changes can be difficult over mountainous terrain, and weather stations only provide information at a static location. That is where human observations aid in detailing how precipitation phase changes vary in time and space. Using these apps, with a few taps you can send observations of precipitation during storms at your location.

Forecasting

NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory is collecting weather reports through the free app mPING. What’s “mPING?” It is an acronym for Meteorological Phenomena Identification Near the Ground. The data in turn help define the precipitation that is falling at your location and improve forecasts and radar techniques. That in turn filters down to improve those various other weather apps you might be using for forecasts and radar data.

Cloud Types and Sky Conditions

GLOBE Observer Clouds can be used to observe clouds, mosquito habitats, land cover, and trees. With the cloud observation aspect, you can help document cloud cover, cloud types, cloud opacity, sky conditions, visibilities, and surface conditions along with photographic examples. It is a bit more involved than the prior reporting apps, but with a few taps and snaps, you can contribute your real-world observations for better understanding and interpretation of satellite data vs surface data.

Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer & Meteorologist

307, 2009

Staying Inside

adm_mwobs2009-07-03T16:57:34-04:00July 3rd, 2009|Categories: Historical Posts|

Staying Inside 2009-07-03 16:57:34.000 - Mike Finnegan, IT Observer "And we're back in the fog." This has been said quite a bit today, which in a way is a good sign. To be back in the fog is to imply there was a break from the fog.

307, 2009

End of the ski season

adm_mwobs2009-07-03T16:18:03-04:00July 3rd, 2009|Categories: Historical Posts|

End of the ski season 2009-07-03 16:18:03.000 - Brian Clark, Observer and Meteorologist No snow left in Airplane Gully This afternoon saw an unexpected break in the fog that has engulfed the summit for the majority of the past week. This, along with seasonable temperatures in the

207, 2009

Alpine Tundra

adm_mwobs2009-07-02T16:38:11-04:00July 2nd, 2009|Categories: Historical Posts|

Alpine Tundra 2009-07-02 16:38:11.000 - Hedda Peterson, Summit Intern For some time now the view out of the observatory window has only revealed the surrounding lichen covered boulders. If we are lucky the fog will clear for seconds at a time, reassuring us that the landscape does

Previous 101810191020 Next

Support Us

Mount Washington Observatory is a nonprofit research and educational institution working to advance understanding of Earth’s weather and climate.

We cannot do this without your support!

VOLUNTEER

DONATE NOW