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

1704, 2024

From Mount Washington to Antarctica

Ellen Estabrook2024-04-25T07:51:25-04:00April 17th, 2024|Categories: Observer Blog|

From Mount Washington to Antarctica By Charlotte Markey What do Antarctica and the summit of Mount Washington have in common besides weather? Having worked as support staff for both locations, I can tell you there are plenty of commonalities. In fact, volunteering at “the rockpile” helped

1004, 2024

Record Gust, Human Grit: 90 Years of Big Wind

Ellen Estabrook2024-04-10T13:12:08-04:00April 10th, 2024|Categories: Windswept|

Record Gust, Human Grit: 90 Years of Big Wind By Ellen Estabrook | April 10, 2024 “’Will they believe it?’ Was our first thought. I felt then the full responsibility of that startling measurement…” Salvatore Pagliuca, Weather Observer and electrical engineer, wrote those words in the

504, 2024

Excerpt of “Will They Believe It?”

Ellen Estabrook2024-04-06T10:57:52-04:00April 5th, 2024|Categories: Windswept|

Excerpt of “Will They Believe It?” By Rachel Slade | April 4, 2024 Editor’s Note: This excerpt is from Rachel Slade’s visit to Mount Washington Observatory last April on the 89th anniversary of the famous “highest wind ever recorded.” The entire feature will appear in the

Previous 404142 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