Site survey: Weather Station of Climate Record at CSUC

To get an idea of the measurement environment that exists today at stations used to gather climate data, I visited the Chico State University Fram on Hegan Lane, south of the city, to do a site survey in the format done by Dr. Roger Pielke of Colorado State University. This station is part of the US Historical Climate Network of weather stations that have been used as the source for surface temperature data in many climate models and studies.

There were some interesting discoveries.

Site Survey

Chico State University Farm, Hegan Lane, Chico,

CA  95926 (530) 898-6343

Date: 5/09/07

Survey By: Anthony Watts

USHCN Reported Coordinates of site: CHICO

(39.71°N, 121.82°W; 56 m)

Measured GPS Coordinates of site:

Lat/Lon 39.69194˚  N  121.82127˚  W

Elevation

54.5592 m (179 feet)

Site description and known history:

the climate record for Chico is unknown as of this writing.

Curator notes:

1. There has been encroachment by Oleander bushes

   onto the site in recent times, about 2 years ago, a prominent Oleander bush

   that was blocking the pyranometer view was removed, see before (sketch) and

   after photos below.

2. The curator notes that there was a complaint

   from a meteorologist from WeatherNews about a change in temperature data that

   coincided with a repainting of the CRS’s a few years ago, but cannot recall

   the date exactly.

Site surveyor notes:

1. There are missing louvers on the north side of

   the CRS containing the automated data logger and temp/dp sensor

2. There is clear evidence that both shelters

   have been repainted with latex paint, including brush marks and drip marks.

3. There is an asphalt road that curves around

   the site, from the southwest to the southeast

4. The surface at the site is  mixture of

   gravel, soil, and debris. There is no grass.

5. There is a water filled evapo-transpiration

   pan within  10 feet of each CRS, its lineage seems to indicate it goes

   back to the establishment of the site in 1963

6. The fiberglass composite NEMA electronics

   enclosure containing the data logger, radio modem, and solar battery charger are placed

   inside the CRS within 6-8 inches of the temperature/dp sensor. The 12 volt gel

   cel battery is also inside the CRS. These items may

   introduce a heat bias from the operating electronics.

Images of the site:

(click for larger images)

Other Images:

(click for larger images)

Interior of west most CRS with data logger, temp/dp

sensor

Before (sketch) and after of vegetation

encroachment

Various details of disrepair on both CRS’s

Ground cover

Interior of east most, manual mercury thermometer

CRS

Evidence of repainting, brush-marks, drips