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

901, 2011

Plymouth State Intern Comment

adm_mwobs2011-01-09T17:39:23-05:00January 9th, 2011|Categories: Historical Posts|

Plymouth State Intern Comment 2011-01-09 17:39:23.000 - Jason Kaiser, Plymouth State Intern Mike Pirhalla, a fellow Plymouth State Meteorology student, and I arrived on the summit around mid-day yesterday with a delicate piece of equipment in tow - a brand new custom-machined pitot tube anemometer. The majority

801, 2011

An historic day

adm_mwobs2011-01-08T16:48:48-05:00January 8th, 2011|Categories: Historical Posts|

An historic day 2011-01-08 16:48:48.000 - Brian Clark, Observer and Meteorologist Al and Marion Lake, and the Grilled Elvis Today was a bit of an historic day on the mountain, for several reasons. For starters, this shift marks 5 years since I spent my first shift on

701, 2011

Before and After

adm_mwobs2011-01-07T17:21:38-05:00January 7th, 2011|Categories: Historical Posts|

Before and After 2011-01-07 17:21:38.000 - Mike Finnegan, IT Observer Before and After Coming back to the summit this week, it appears the summit did not get away from the quick, but effective, January thaw that struck the Northeast with a vengeance last week. Thursday was a

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