With 421 stations surveyed, we now stand at 800 stations remaining to be surveyed. The rate of surveying slowed during the month of September, which is to be expected as people end summer vacations, start school, and other end of summer activities. I expect we’ll see it pick up in the weeks ahead as people get back to new routines.
One notable: we are down to the final seven stations from California. I recently did Weaverville and Orleans, but have not written them up yet. That leaves Blythe, Brawley, Cedarville, Death Valley, Fresno, Livermore, Needles, San Luis Obispo, and Tejon Rancho. I’m particularly interested in Tejon Rancho since it is a benchmark station that has been unchanged virtually since its beginning. Alas, it’s on private property, and they don’t seem interested in providing access. So if anyone has an “in” with the Tejon Ranch company, please let me know.
If you are considering doing a station survey, please check the USHCN masterlist at www.surfacestations.org to see what is available.
Tejon Ranch
Looks like a job for the Mission Impossible team. Alert Tom Cruise. Or the A-Team. I know Mr. T is available, because my son met him at a restaurant in LA recently.
The reasons for Tejon’s desire for privacy are too complex for this venue. Still I bet you could make an appointment or even ask the staff to email a few pics.
Where supposedly is the Fresno station? I’ll get my friend out there immediately.
[still kicking myself over CalPoly SLO]
According to MMS database the Fresno weather station is an ASOS type and here is the location.
FRESNO YOSEMITE INTL AIRPORT ON NORTH SIDE OF RUNWAY 11L
I think I’ve located it in this aerial photo, but can’t tell exactly what “pad” it might be in the area between 11L runway and taxiway.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=36.78303~-119.72479&style=h&lvl=18&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&encType=1
Looks like you should be able to get pictures from the fence line near the parking lot of the FBO/small aircraft office there.
I went to Marengo, IL last Sunday afternoon, the nearest station to my home as a test case. The GPS coordinates aren’t correct, and are in a farmers field. I ran out the daylight asking local farmers if they knew where the weather station is.
The description indicates; south of the river, and doesn’t match the GPS coordinates which were north of the river. Once I ascertained the prize isn’t north of the river, and on a farm, I Googled the observers names, lo and behold they both work for the City of Marengo, one of them at the wastewater treatment plant. I am confident the weather instruments are near the wastewater treatment plant.
I also learned that there are warm digesters, and (what I consider) hot digesters…
From: Waterways is the official publication of the Illinois Rural Water Association
Volume III • Spring 2007 http://www.ilrwa.org/Spring%202007-Final.pdf
“… sludge has been centrifuged it is transferred to the Thermophilic Digester. The average detention time here is approximately 10 days at 130 degrees. As sludge is pumped into the Thermophilic it will automatically overflow into the Mesophilic Digester. In the Mesophilic digester the approximate detention time is 30 days at 98 degrees. …”
Here’s a good aerial view of the Livermore, CA. station:
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=q8fvhg4vk9br&style=o&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=8029575&encType=1
Thanks Drew,
And with this photo from the NWS SFO web page, I think we have enough for a complete survey:
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/images/mtr/cpm/4997.jpg
Pool anyone?