Comments on: How not to measure Temperature, part 46. Reno’s USHCN Station http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/01/10/how-not-to-measure-temperature-part-46-renos-ushcn-station/ Commentary on puzzling things in life, nature, science, weather, climate change, technology, and recent news by Anthony Watts Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:06:02 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: How not to measure temperature, part 69 « Watts Up With That? http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/01/10/how-not-to-measure-temperature-part-46-renos-ushcn-station/#comment-33472 How not to measure temperature, part 69 « Watts Up With That? Sun, 24 Aug 2008 04:04:25 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/how-not-to-measure-temperature-part-46-renos-ushcn-station/#comment-33472 [...] the UHI factor in one of it’s training course ( NOAA Professional Competency Unit 6 ) using Reno, NV and Baltimore, MD as examples. The Reno station had to be moved because it was producing an [...] [...] the UHI factor in one of it’s training course ( NOAA Professional Competency Unit 6 ) using Reno, NV and Baltimore, MD as examples. The Reno station had to be moved because it was producing an [...]

]]> By: SBW http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/01/10/how-not-to-measure-temperature-part-46-renos-ushcn-station/#comment-6967 SBW Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:38:27 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/how-not-to-measure-temperature-part-46-renos-ushcn-station/#comment-6967 This is pretty late for this thread, but I have a couple of questions. I live in the Reno area (west side on the foothills) and it is very apparent that the official records don't reflect the weather here--about 3-5 miles from the airport. I'm only about 500 feet higher than the airport, but the temperatures are colder and the area gets over twice as much snow. Since I assume the primary goal of these stations is to provide accurate information for pilots, it's a good thing the station is right between the runways--and with that limitation, should not be used to model climate change. However, even if the end result is that the temperatures recorded are far higher than the surrounding area--should they not be consistent? By that I mean the temperature records may not be accurate, but they will be precise. If the station has been located on asphalt between two runways for the last 40 odd years, the higher temperatures should be varying between a mean that is roughly constant. I've only been here a couple of years--the town may have grown a lot, but if the area covered by the airport is constant, why are the recorded temperatures increasing overall? They should have jumped up when the station was moved to it's present location, and then varied around a flat mean roughly 6 - 8 degrees above the true temperature of the surrounding countryside. But the chart shows increasing temperatures. Why? This is pretty late for this thread, but I have a couple of questions.

I live in the Reno area (west side on the foothills) and it is very apparent that the official records don’t reflect the weather here–about 3-5 miles from the airport. I’m only about 500 feet higher than the airport, but the temperatures are colder and the area gets over twice as much snow.

Since I assume the primary goal of these stations is to provide accurate information for pilots, it’s a good thing the station is right between the runways–and with that limitation, should not be used to model climate change.

However, even if the end result is that the temperatures recorded are far higher than the surrounding area–should they not be consistent? By that I mean the temperature records may not be accurate, but they will be precise. If the station has been located on asphalt between two runways for the last 40 odd years, the higher temperatures should be varying between a mean that is roughly constant. I’ve only been here a couple of years–the town may have grown a lot, but if the area covered by the airport is constant, why are the recorded temperatures increasing overall? They should have jumped up when the station was moved to it’s present location, and then varied around a flat mean roughly 6 – 8 degrees above the true temperature of the surrounding countryside. But the chart shows increasing temperatures. Why?

]]> By: Leon Palmer http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/01/10/how-not-to-measure-temperature-part-46-renos-ushcn-station/#comment-3950 Leon Palmer Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:19:11 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/how-not-to-measure-temperature-part-46-renos-ushcn-station/#comment-3950 Hi Andrew, It would be interesting to plant a weather station at the southern location they used for those two years to continue to track the temperature difference between the south and north locations... Hi Andrew,

It would be interesting to plant a weather station at the southern location they used for those two years to continue to track the temperature difference between the south and north locations…

]]> By: Evan Jones http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/01/10/how-not-to-measure-temperature-part-46-renos-ushcn-station/#comment-3885 Evan Jones Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:37:15 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/how-not-to-measure-temperature-part-46-renos-ushcn-station/#comment-3885 Night light, Light bright, First light I've seen tonight. Adjust it left, adjust it right Till I sight the site I cite. Hubble, Bubble, tar and rubble Tarmac warm and T-min double. Night light,
Light bright,
First light I’ve seen tonight.
Adjust it left, adjust it right
Till I sight the site I cite.

Hubble, Bubble, tar and rubble
Tarmac warm and T-min double.

]]> By: Craig http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/01/10/how-not-to-measure-temperature-part-46-renos-ushcn-station/#comment-3883 Craig Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:35:37 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/how-not-to-measure-temperature-part-46-renos-ushcn-station/#comment-3883 This is rather unrelated, but I keep seeing the temperature graphs like the one at the top of the post for USHCN stations. Where are these available? Are they somewhere on the NOAA site? This is rather unrelated, but I keep seeing the temperature graphs like the one at the top of the post for USHCN stations. Where are these available? Are they somewhere on the NOAA site?

]]> By: SteveSadlov http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/01/10/how-not-to-measure-temperature-part-46-renos-ushcn-station/#comment-3881 SteveSadlov Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:52:22 +0000 http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/how-not-to-measure-temperature-part-46-renos-ushcn-station/#comment-3881 Just to the West of the airport and the I-395 freeway, you can see, in the satellite photo, significant "strip" style development along "old 395" and cross streets. As anyone familiar with that area knows, much of that growth has been since the late 1970s. Prior to that, other than a few modes of "leapfrog" type development, there were mostly open plots of land there. The relatively recent completion of that leg of the 395 freeway has actually exacerbated the strip development in that southerly direction and most parcels have now been built out. One must also note the extensive warehousing / logisitcs / light industrial development literally beginning at the eastern fence of the airport and spanning across the valley to the foothills, also of relatively recent origin. Just to the West of the airport and the I-395 freeway, you can see, in the satellite photo, significant “strip” style development along “old 395″ and cross streets. As anyone familiar with that area knows, much of that growth has been since the late 1970s. Prior to that, other than a few modes of “leapfrog” type development, there were mostly open plots of land there. The relatively recent completion of that leg of the 395 freeway has actually exacerbated the strip development in that southerly direction and most parcels have now been built out. One must also note the extensive warehousing / logisitcs / light industrial development literally beginning at the eastern fence of the airport and spanning across the valley to the foothills, also of relatively recent origin.

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