Tag Archives: weather station

Add a weather station to NEWA

Weather station owners who link with NEWA can testify to the usefulness of local real-time management information. Read this article to learn more about the process of linking a privately-owned weather station to NEWA.

Talk to your NEWA state coordinator

Contact your NEWA state coordinator before making any station purchase decision. NEWA partners with member states throughout the eastern and central United States to provide local grower support and expertise. Your coordinator can provide information specific to your state, answer questions about the NEWA platform, direct commodity questions to appropriate extension or university resources, and identify possible training opportunities for you.

View a list of NEWA state coordinators

Research your weather station options

NEWA models and tools require a specific configuration of weather station sensors to work. Understand all aspects of purchasing and maintaining a weather station before making the investment by reading our station buying guide and talking to our weather station vendor, Rainwise, Inc. Your NEWA state coordinator also has a lot of experience managing and maintaining his or her own machines, helping other growers in your state, and working with NEWA.

View the NEWA weather station buying guide

Weather stations are similar to any other investment on your farm. Tractors and combines require scheduled maintenance and checks throughout the season, and a long-term plan for capitalization. The same is true with a professional weather station. Understand upfront costs, maintenance, and calibration needs, as well as warranty coverage.

Talk to your NEWA state coordinator before making a purchase. Read the NEWA station buying guide. Talk to other growers you know who also have weather station linked to NEWA.

Purchase a weather station

When you are ready to purchase a station, contact Rainwise, Inc., the weather station vendor for NEWA. Review the NEWA station buying guide and understand specifications, add-ons, warranty coverage, maintenance requirements, and lifespan. Rainwise, Inc. is a weather station vendor that provides hardware and an online software platform (rainwise.net) to growers, from which NEWA gathers weather information to be used at newa.cornell.edu.

A note about NEWA and Rainwise, Inc.

You become a customer of Rainwise, Inc. after purchasing a weather station. NEWA is not affiliated with Rainwise, Inc., and does not receive monetary compensation or commission for weather stations purchased with the intent for use with NEWA.

The NEWA platform (newa.cornell.edu) is part of the New York State IPM Program at Cornell University. Rainwise, Inc. is a vendor of weather stations that are compatible with the NEWA. Questions about models and resources hosted at newa.cornell.edu should be directed to your NEWA state coordinator. If your state does not have a listed coordinator, reach out to NEWA staff directly at newa@cornell.edu.

Installation

Your weather station is sitting in a big box in your farm office. What now? Follow the advice of your NEWA state coordinator and Rainwise, Inc. regarding station installation and linking with rainwise.net. The process may vary slightly depending on the topography and layout of your farm.

Configuration

Several verification steps must be completed before NEWA can create a location at newa.cornell.edu using data from your rainwise.net weather station account. Finish these tasks before making a request to join newa.cornell.edu.

Verify your rainwise.net account settings

Talk to your NEWA state coordinator…again!

At this point, talk to your NEWA state coordinator again. He or she will need information about your location, station hardware, contact information, and confirmation that settings have been checked in rainwise.net, which operates independently of the NEWA platform at newa.cornell.edu.

Welcome to NEWA

If you follow the steps described above, communicate with your NEWA state coordinator, confirm weather station settings on rainwise.net, and provide needed station information, no further action is required. It takes three to five business days to link data coming from your account at rainwise.net to newa.cornell.edu and to verify that information is accurate.

Winter weather station maintenance

As the 2017 field season comes to a close, it’s time to give your stations some TLC.

I must emphasize the importance of keeping stations clean and in good working condition. Even small errors in sensor measurements like rainfall and temperature can lead to larger NEWA model miscalculations over time.

Here are some useful preventive maintenance tips. You can also download a maintenance checklist.

  1. Clean the rain gauge tipping bucket. Leaves, insects and other debris can clog the drain, causing an error in rainfall measurements. Do this not only in the fall but again in the spring and at least twice during each growing season. To learn more about tipping bucket maintenance, watch this YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Q3xL2vvPg&feature=youtu.be)

    Weather station “maintenance.” Photo credit Mary Concklin, University of Connecticut.

  2. Clean the solar radiation sensor. The diffuser can be cleaned with a damp cloth. If the diffuser is yellowed, contact Rainwise support for technical assistance.
  3. Check the anemometer and weather vane. Both the anemometer (spinning fan) and weather vane should also move freely in all directions. Set the weather vane to zero on due North.
  4. Check the leaf wetness sensor for damage. Examine the plastic board and electrodes for corrosion, cracking or weathering damage. Also look at station leaf wetness data on NEWA. If wet periods seem to be missing or incorrect based on your field observations or experience, contact Rainwise support for technical assistance.
  5. Check the RH sensor. Verify that RH measurements are accurate by looking at RH values on dewy or rainy mornings using the NEWA website. If values are low or missing, the temperature/RH sensor may need to be replaced. Contact Rainwise support for technical assistance

Rainwise recommends a two-year calibration cycle for their weather station. As of October 2017, NEWA recommends that you contact Rainwise support at (207) 801-4039 or 1-800-762-5723 before dismantling and sending your station to the factory for repairs. Recent national weather events have caused a backlog of station service requests. This will minimize station downtime.

For more information on station maintenance and troubleshooting visit the NEWA Weather Station Guidelines page or download the NEWA Maintenance and Troubleshooting Guide.