The first question for most people venturing outdoors in Alaska is: How hard is the wind blowing and when will it start to rain? In Prince William Sound (PWS), high winds mean big waves, and a hard rain can lead to uncomfortable conditions. The combination could be hazardous for commercial fishermen as well as recreational kayakers and hikers, especially when temperatures dip to the freezing level. The Prince William Sound Observing System (PWSOS) includes weather observation stations that provide accurate real-time data on winds, temperatures and precipitation. These data are used as part of a new PWS weather forecasting system (see Weather Predictions).
SNOTEL
Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) stations were first set up in the western states in the early 1970s by the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to measure precipitation from snow and rain throughout the year and feed drought predictions. They are fully-automated, land-based stations that are usually set up in remote locations. In 2004 the state of Alaska had 46 stations, but starting in the summer of 2005, five new stations were deployed at sea level in PWS, and five additional stations were planned for deployment at alpine elevations. When the system is fully deployed by the fall of 2006, PWS will have five pairs of sea-level and alpine stations with a pair in each of the four quadrants (Northeast, Northwest, Southwest, Southeast) of the Sound and another representing the central basin.
Each station in PWS will measure wind speed and direction, air temperature, air pressure, precipitation from rain and snow, and solar radiation. Four stations (one sea level station in each quadrant of the sound) also have digital cameras that transmit pictures every fifteen minutes to the internet so the actual weather conditions in each area can be seen. Data transmitted by the weather stations will be accessible through the AOOS and PWSOS web pages and archived at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The PWSOS is using the weather data for generating computerized weather prediction using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System(RAMS). Accurate weather data from the network of SNOTEL stations will allow scientists to better forecast the likelihood of wind and rain over 6, 12, and 24 hour periods. These data will also allow environmental managers and coastal communities to develop management plans based on the best weather measurements and computer simulations for the PWS area.
Data Access
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