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

810, 2009

Ice Climbing

adm_mwobs2009-10-08T22:12:11-04:00October 8th, 2009|Categories: Historical Posts|

Ice Climbing 2009-10-08 22:12:11.000 - Mike Finnegan, IT Observer Off the Ground and on Ice! Well, it has been quite an eventful day on the summit. As Ryan mentioned in his last comment, we experienced our first winds over 100 mph last night, topping out at 107

710, 2009

100 – we finally got it!

adm_mwobs2009-10-07T21:33:52-04:00October 7th, 2009|Categories: Historical Posts|

100 - we finally got it! 2009-10-07 21:33:52.000 - Ryan Knapp, Staff Meteorologist It had been 167 days since we saw a similar chart 167! No, I am not exclaiming that because we reached that wind speed. I am exclaiming that because that is the number of

610, 2009

NULL

adm_mwobs2009-10-06T08:19:28-04:00October 6th, 2009|Categories: Historical Posts|

NULL 2009-10-06 08:19:28.000 - Mary Ellen Dunn, Summit Intern First Snowfall of the Season. Why meteorology? I get asked that question a lot. Some people are curious, why chose to study meteorology in college? Well, for me personally, weather is such an exciting, rapidly changing science. I

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