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City of Fresno's new Hazmat rig features an Orion Weather Station.
A weather display is installed inside the command center.
This state-of-the-art Hazmat delivery for the City of Fresno, California features a Vehicle-Mount Orion™ Weather Station for real-time weather monitoring in critical situations.
SVI Trucks specs note that "This compact, all-in-one sensor module is very durable and has no moving parts . . . Inside, the Orion Interface Module provides power to the sensor transmitter and communication ports for both computer and weather display console."
Catch a glimpse of the weather display at 7:37 in the video walkthrough here.
See this rig featured in Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Magazine.
Photos courtesy of SVI Trucks
(L-R) Fabio and Nader at Stevens Water Monitoring Systems
Scott South, Fabio Cáceres, and the Stevens Water Monitoring Systems team welcomed Nader and Martha for a visit last week. It was great to see their operation and compare notes.
Thanks for the tour and lunch! We look forward to reciprocating.
An AES technician points to a Magellan MX500™ weather station installed at the site.
CWS Technical Sales Engineer Ellie Thacker recently toured the Huntington Beach Energy Project in California. The project is owned by global energy customer AES Corporation and is one of the cleanest power generation plants in California.
John Islas, Instrumentation Controls and Electrical Technician, demonstrated how they use the weather data from their two Magellan MX500™ weather stations.
Weather conditions affect this utility customer's operations and aids decision making, as shown in this customized screen.
As Hurricane Milton moves through the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida, Cloud Weather Server screenshots from a utility customer in the Keys show high wind speeds and a drop in barometric pressure.
Our thoughts are with all who are affected by this powerful storm.
Wind and Barometric Pressure historical graphs on the Cloud Weather Server display data ahead of Hurricane Milton.
August cover of Professional Safety Journal.
CWS Marketing Specialist Bethany Villero recently wrote about leveraging wet bulb globe temperature measurement to protect outdoor workers in a recent issue of American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) Professional Safety Journal.
"By incorporating WBGT monitoring into protocols and planning, and taking the right steps to mitigate injuries, professionals can effectively safeguard the safety and health of individuals exposed to hot environments."
Martha at the expo in Vienna, Austria.
Nader and Martha represented CWS in Vienna, Austria for Meteorological Technology World Expo 2024!
It was a valuable time exploring the latest in technology advances and connecting with fellow professionals in the weather world.
WPBF Chief Certified Meteorologist Cris Martinez with the First Warning Weather Live Tracker. (Photo: WPBF 25 News)
West Palm Beach, FL is no stranger to severe weather. Ahead of hurricane season this year, WPBF 25 News took delivery of their First Warning Weather Live Tracker, complete with a Magellan MX600 Weather Station and display.
“It’s the newest tool in our weather arsenal,” noted Chief Certified Meteorologist Cris Martinez, “to bring you south Florida certified accurate forecasts anytime, anywhere.”
Shout out to our friends at Accelerated Media for another great build!
A student presents local weather news on his YouTube channel.
South River High School in New Jersey installed a Capricorn FLX Weather Station on one of their buildings. The Climate Change Club uses the data to report hourly weather readings to the National Weather Service. According to their website: “This will make South River High School a weather hub for pilots to collect current weather conditions of our area. The information that the club collects will also be archived for climate change data.”
One particular star student, Gabe Friedman, “works with the weather system regularly and has taken a lead on getting more students and staff involved,” Kamila added. Gabe created a YouTube channel to present local weather news.
Package Engineer Kelly Masell with the Weather MicroServer monitoring screen on a desktop.
An Orion Weather Station mounted on a building at the plant.
When equipment breakdowns happen during manufacturing processes, it’s important for operators to identify the root cause to prevent costly impacts in the future.
Kelly Masell is a Package Engineer at North Star BlueScope, a leading supplier in the steel industry based in Ohio. He recently explained how data from an Orion Weather Station installed at the plant is used for their operations:
“The system was configured to transfer data via Modbus TCP to an Allen Bradley PLC. This data is then trended in a historical program for data retrieval at any time. If something major happens in the plant, it may be weather related.
"We can look at the historical trends of temperature, humidity, winds, barometric pressure and more. Columbia Weather data could pinpoint if a weather-related data point was a contributing factor of why the breakdown occurred.”
Kelly added that it was “very easy to get started” with the system, instructions were “clear and easy to understand,” and he would recommend the system based on:
“1. Easy to set up 2. Getting real-time weather data 3. Configurable for remote monitoring on other systems.”
That’s what we like to hear! Thanks for sharing, Kelly.
The AQM Complete and AQM PM can now accurately detect PM1 concentrations.
With longer, more active fire seasons each year affecting a broader population, now is the time to boost efforts to protect public health and safety, optimize infrastructure, and plan more strategically.
For comprehensive monitoring, the AQM Complete and AQM PM air quality monitoring systems can now detect PM1 concentrations from sources such as wildfires, traffic, and dust-emitting industrial facilities (in addition to PM2.5 and PM10).
Washtenaw County Sheriff Mobile Command Unit.
When natural disasters and emergency incidents cut power, damage infrastructure, or disrupt communication, Mobile Command Centers step in to serve as critical, centralized hubs for response teams.
These command centers are equipped with advanced technology that regularly includes Magellan MX500 Vehicle-Mount weather stations. Monitoring weather data at the scene can mean increased safety, seamless automation, and comprehensive reporting.
Our new Mobile Command Center application page has additional details, which you can read here.
An Orion 420 weather station is installed at Old Dominion Electric Cooperative's Louisa facility in Virginia.
We recently received some feedback from Operations & Maintenance Manager Mark Alberts of Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC):
“We have now had your weather station in service for two years now. It is an extremely reliable tool for us here at our facility. In the ever-changing requirements for the power industry, the information that we retrieve from the station is critical for our power generation capacity output verification. We appreciate the robust nature of the station.
Thank you for sharing with us, Mark!
Technical Sales Engineer Ellie Thacker
Join us in welcoming Ellie Thacker to CWS! As our new Technical Sales Engineer, she will be supporting our customers by responding to inquiries and generating quotes, as well as assisting with research and development.
Ellie gained experience interning at Hewlett-Packard (HP) and working for the Shellhammer Lab while studying Bioengineering and Computer Science at Oregon State University. After graduating, she worked for Invoy as a Bioengineer and Health Analyst.
As the daughter of CWS President Nader Khoury and granddaughter of founder Gene Hinds, Ellie is the next generation continuing the commitment to provide professional weather monitoring solutions to industries and government agencies across the globe.
“Ellie brings new expertise and fresh energy to our team, expanding our engineering capabilities to respond personally, promptly, and thoroughly to our customers’ requirements,” Nader says. “We are very pleased to bring her on board.”
A TCEQ rep with a Magellan MX500 weather station mounted on a monitoring van. Photo courtesy of TCEQ.
A Magellan MX500 mounted on a TCEQ van. Photo courtesy of Chikage Windler/CBS Austin.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) leads one of the most extensive air monitoring programs in the United States. Since 2019, the state agency has procured 12 Magellan MX500 Vehicle-Mount weather stations for their Mobile Command Posts, which are deployed during emergencies.
CBS Austins Chief Meteorologist Chikage Windler states in a 2023 article: “In addition to analyzing air pollution on samples in the lab, the TCEQ can also monitor air quality on the go with its Mobile Monitoring Vans.
“Each is equipped with spectrometers to measure air quality plus an onboard weather station. That allows air quality and weather data to be used together to help track pollution levels and where higher concentrations may spread downwind from a natural disaster site or hazmat situation.”
Ground-level ozone is another area of concern. Low air quality and specific summer weather conditions can lead to smog, according to Ryan Vise, Director of External Relations for TCEQ. They issue Ozone Action Days when conditions are favorable for ozone to form. “Hot summer days, when there's no or little wind, when it cannot be dispersed as easily in the air,” explains Vise.
Disclaimer: The content, findings, opinions, and conclusions are the work of the author and do not necessarily represent findings, opinions, or conclusions of the TCEQ.
New WM30 wind sensor for increased winter weather performance.
Introducing a new Capricorn FLX Wind Sensor option for operations impacted by winter weather. The WM30 measures combined wind speed and direction and has increased performance in snow and icy conditions.
We've got you covered, whatever the weather!
Curious if our equipment is right for your operations? We're here to help. Send us an email at info@columbiaweather.com.
Participants having fun during the "HazMat Olympics."
CWS customer BNSF presented on Rail Hazardous Material Response.
Last week the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office held their Regional HazMat Emergency Response Team Conference. Nader and Martha were honored to attend.
Beginning in 2005, the OSFM has outfitted HazMat teams with portable and vehicle-mount weather stations from CWS.
Visit our blog here for more photos and details of our time at the conference.
Topeka Fire Captain Ty Forshee with the department's new HazMat unit.
Topeka Fire Department's brand-new Hazmat apparatus built by SVI Trucks includes a Magellan MX500 Vehicle-Mount weather station and Weather Display. Watch Captain Ty Forshee give a walk-through of the delivery here.
Thank you to SVI for sharing this footage and congrats to the fire department for a fantastic new rig!
A screenshot of the TMJ News segment with a view of the CWS Weather Display in the background.
Thanks TMJ4 News for a great walkthrough of your new Storm Chaser vehicle! Watch to catch a glimpse of the Magellan MX600 Weather Station mounted on the roof and the Weather Display on the interior.
“We want to be able to show first-hand weather that could be coming to your neighborhood and if were able to do that, then I think we did our job,” commented Chief Meteorologist Brian Niznansky. Their website notes: “The Storm Chaser is SE Wisconsin’s only mobile weather lab. It’s just one tool that allows Storm Team 4 to keep you ahead of severe weather.”
A Pulsar 800™ Weather Station mounted on a Penn Color maintenance building.
A Pulsar™ Weather Station was recently integrated with Penn Color’s building automation systems. The on-site, real-time weather data will be used to improve operations at their headquarters in Hatfield, PA.
“We are using the weather station for several things,” says Control Engineer Dan Cole.
“A PLC is reading the weather data via modbus. That data is being logged by our server. We plan to correlate that data with some of our production process data points. For example, how does temperature and humidity affect some our production processes and finished goods quality.”
Learn more about Penn Color’s weather station application at the link below.
(L-R) CWS President Nader Khoury, Vaisala representatives Wyatt Bishop, Mikko Krapu
We welcomed Vaisala representatives to the office from Colorado and Finland last week! Wyatt and Mikko met with our team to discuss exciting weather tech currently in development. Vaisala sensor technology is integrated into several of our environmental monitoring systems. Looking for ways to make weather monitoring easier, more efficient, and more valuable to our customers is always on our minds. Thanks for coming!
Check out this new video for a quick review of our CWS Weather Monitor App including the latest version with these updated features:
- – A new History feature shows data from yesterday and today with Temperature, Wind, Barometric Pressure, and Rainfall graphs.
- – The new Overview shows key current data from your active weather stations.
The CWS Weather Monitor App makes it easier to quickly check current weather conditions from a hand-held mobile device for decision-making in the field.
Real-time monitoring screens display standard met parameters. National Weather Service forecasts are available for any US zip code. Alarm notifications are customizable via the Cloud Weather Server.
The CWS Weather Monitor App is compatible with all CWS weather stations that include the Weather MicroServer. The app is free to download for both Apple and Android devices – search for Columbia Weather Systems.
Heated options now offered for select Magellan MX™ models.
In climates where wintry weather affects the accuracy of meteorological equipment, heated sensors can help prevent frozen precipitation from accumulating and causing faulty data. We are happy to now offer heated options for the Magellan MX™ 600, 501, and 500 Weather Station models.
The Orion Weather Station has a Pressure, Temperature, Humidity (PTU) module that can be replaced in the field with virtually no down-time. Electronic measurement equipment can drift in accuracy over time.
For many applications, this minimal drift is acceptable. But for some regulatory-compliant or very sensitive applications, customers can ensure factory-calibrated accuracy by replacing the PTU module per the manufacturer’s recommendation every two years. Each replacement PTU module comes with a factory calibration certificate.
Examples of customers who replace their PTU module regularly include energy companies like Alliant and Dominion, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts wastewater treatment facilities, and Ford Motor Company Proving Grounds.
Watch this quick new video tutorial that demonstrates how to easily replace the module.
The Weather MicroServer display shows snow reading.
Leap year brings an extra day of winter! “…because official meteorological winter is December through February, Leap Day is the last day of winter, which means Leap Years have an extra day of winter!”
Click here for a clip of the “wintry mix” that we had this week, as noted by the Pulsar 600 Weather Station’s Doppler radar precipitation sensor.
The CWS Heat Stress System was developed to help keep workers safe in extreme heat and humid environments.
We are excited to release our latest white paper "How to Measure WBGT to Mitigate Heat Stress" written by our long-time friend and associate, meteorologist John Crosby. John has over 40 years of hands-on experience with meteorological, aerospace, and industrial sensors.
We first worked with John when we integrated his EnviroTech visibility sensors into CWS weather stations. It was fun to meet in person when the AMS meeting came to Seattle. Most recently John has been working as a consultant under WXSensors, LLC. This guy knows what he is talking about!
We welcome his wealth of meteorological knowledge and insights for this new white paper. Read it at the link below:
Weather Display inside the Storm Chaser (Photo courtesy of Accelerated Media)
WTMJ News's Storm Chaser is ready to tackle the elements and report live weather conditions with the Magellan MX600™ Weather Station and Weather Display. Another rugged, custom-built broadcast rig built by Accelerated Media!
WTMJ News' Storm Chaser truck (Photo courtesy of Accelerated Media)
Thank you to our customers both near and far for a successful 2023! Cheers to the New Year!
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