Here’s a fun little puzzle for you, two older station siting photographs from former California State Climatologist, Jim Goodridge, circa the 1980’s. I had Jim find these because I was recently interviewed for a national network newscast, and when I told the story of them, the reporter wanted these photos. Jim found them attached on an old paper presented at a climate conference, which I hope to share here soon after I get it scanned in.
One is a place of Science, one is place of Transportation, both in California.
Answers tomorrow
UPDATE: Answers here – http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/08/16/never-before-published-paper-on-uhi-and-siting-goodridge-1987/
Of course the second one can’t be Furnace Creek, in Death Valley, so perhaps Incinerator Creek?
I’m guessing Mt Wilson for the first one.
First one is obviously Eagle Peak. 🙂
The GOD of BBQ! I thought he was only a myth!!!! This must be a photo of the Basilica. No wonder all other BBQ’s seek to sit next to a Stevenson’s Screen.
Pamela, are you sure that’s not the Forest Service’s new bear-proof rain gauge?
(I wanna know when the interview gets aired….)
That’s the way it’s done! No, no, this doesn’t effect anything….. just like the hundreds just like it don’t.
The second one is definately my back yard in Alaska.
It’s a good thing outdoor burners are not legal anymore, but what a step in temperatures that #2 site must have provided. Just the heat reflecting and wafting off the enclosure must still affect the readings should that abomination still be in the system.
The top one is definitely not Mt. Wilson. I have old pictures of it before it was moved to the Post Office roof. Bottom one appears to be in a snow region so I will guess Twin Lakes Cal Trans Station.
last name is Gregg
The second photo looks like Interstate 80 between Donner Pass and Auburn, Possibly behind the Caltrans substation, halfway down the grade.
Both locations looks ‘mountainous’ to me because of the pine trees.
For the ‘scientific’ location, Mt. Wilson seemed a bit to obvious, so I’ll guess Palomar Mountain (where the 200 inch telescope is . . ).
As for the ‘transportation’ location, I’ll go way out there and guess Mammoth Lakes, where the ski lifts provide ‘transportation’ to the top of Mammoth Mountain.
FYI I grew up in So. Cal., in La Crescenta, been to Mt. Wilson a few times, never to Palomar, and LOVED skiing in Mammoth ( I remember when lifts tickets there were $11 – and after graduation from high school, went skiing in June, lift tickets were only $8 because less than 1/2 the lifts open ! ). Aaaahh, the memories. . . .
I’ll leave other to guess what year that might have been . . .! 🙂 .
It’s been a long time, but the top one might be Mt. Hamilton, Lick Observatory. That might be the astronomer’s dormatory behind the car. Yikes, 25 years since I’ve been there.
I put the second pic through Google Image search, which was remarkably disappointing. Apparently it keyed in on the red and brown tones, noticed the vertical and angled lines, and looked for the colors and straight lines. Per the suggestion, I put in “weather station” as a description. Not exactly an improvement. First pic wasn’t any better.
But it did find some cute pics of a Rare Mid Victorian Weather Station. Note the middle section with the high/low and dry/wet bulb thermometers. Is this the same “cutting edge technology” they were using for measurements before the electronic age, and for some time later, maybe even today in some places?
My guess on the location of picture # 2 is around the Donner Pass area. And the large rusty apparatus is a Trenbertherator, where all the missing heat is stored.
Right, Judy. Gleick’s missing ethics are in there, too.
I’m tempted to guess either Mt. Shasta or Crater Lake for the first one, even though I have never been to California. The car park space is big enough to solicit the touristy feel that would be reasonable for either.
Ok, I think I have identified photo one, and I was wrong with my first guess. I went over to surfacestations and prowled around. One looks like Chula Vista Fire Station.
If all the old stations were next to incinerators, do the BEST team have to adjust all pre-1980 measurements down to compare with modern siting standards?
I’m sure Mosh could tell us 😉
That incinertor is obviously there so the guy reading the thermometer doesn’t get cold hands can still write down the reading.
So what’s the problem ? These are well within the normal expectations of temp station siting, aren’t they ?
/sarc
Gott in Himmel! These are genuine?
It’s definitely worse than we thought.
While looking around with Google Images for “california coop weather stations”, I eventually came across this old Climate Audit post by Anthony Watts:
http://climateaudit.org/2007/07/15/pain-in-maine-but-they-can-measure-rain/
“Ponder the Maunder” link goes 403 “Forbidden”.
Has the Skeptic Site Silencer virus struck again?
Anthony, Anthony
Please tell me you photoshopped these, please……..
You played this out too long for comfort. Congratulations anyway, dear chap.