Tag Archives: data quality

Tune up your weather station

Remember to check your weather station before the 2018 growing season begins to get the most from NEWA models and resources. Read this article and be sure your instrument is ready to go. Contact support@newa.zendesk.com if you are unable to resolve problems or have questions.

Set a schedule. Check your weather station every 2 or 3 weeks through the growing season. Choose dates in advance and add to your calendar or planner.

Clean the solar radiation sensor. The diffuser can be cleaned with a damp cloth. Replace if the sensor diffuser is yellow.

Check the anemometer and weather vane. Make sure the anemometer (spinning fan) and weather vane move freely in all directions. Set the weather vane to zero on due North.

Check the leaf wetness sensor. Examine the plastic board and electrodes for corrosion, cracking or weathering damage.

Check the relative humidity sensor. Verify the accuracy of RH measurements by looking at NEWA values on mornings that are rainy or have heavy dew.

Clean the rain gauge. Remove leaves, nests, insect, spider webs and other debris. Set a schedule. Watch this video and learn more about tipping bucket maintenance.

Send an email to support@newa.zendesk.com if you need additional assistance.

New weather technology research will benefit NEWA users

Weather sensing technology is at the heart of NEWA tools but organizing the vast amount of data coming from a network like ours is a complicated matter.

Specialists in agriculture, engineering, computing and information sciences at Cornell University got together this past winter to talk about technology and farming in New York State. This effort, called the Digital Agriculture Initiative, had many positive outcomes including new collaborations between the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Engineering and College of Computer and Information Sciences. A series of innovative grants were also awarded using federal Hatch Grant funds, as a direct outcome of winter discussions.

One of these successful grant proposals will have a direct long-term benefit for NEWA users. Development of a High-Resolution Weather Forecast Database for Digital Agriculture and Outreach Applications will examine more efficient ways of collecting and storing large amounts of data from weather sensor networks. Principal Investigators Dr. Art DeGaetano (Northeast Regional Climate Center Director, CALS) and Dr. Madeleine Udell (College of Engineering) will work together to improve the accuracy of agricultural forecasts.

To learn more about this project and other Digital Agriculture projects in New York State, visit the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station website.