Weather Predictions? Thanksgiving in the Kootenays...

[KLRchickie]

What's your favourite long-term weather forecasting website for the general Kootenay area?

ZED & I are hoping to load the 250 SuperMotos in the back of the Sprinter Van, hook up the holiday trailer, and Escape to _somewhere_ for the Thanksgiving long weekend.
Our final destination will be determined when we park the van but the Kootenay Region definitely springs to mind as a possibility - if it's dry  Maybe camp on the backside of Duncan Dam & ride some of the forestry roads & highway 31 dunno... but we do know we aren't interested in a weekend full of wetness.

So what say you weather guru sorts , what sites should I be checking to see what the weather might hold in another week...?

[Sport-Touring]

[bubba zanetti]

Long term is best determined by finding a jet stream forecast. Generally speaking, if the jet stream is over you, you tend to get precipitation. If it is above you the temps "tend" to be warmer. Below you - colder. Tend being the operative word.
http://squall.sfsu.edu/scripts/namjetstream_model_fcst.html

Long term forecasts are extremely changeable and iffy.  I notice that Environment Canada, of late, have taken to providing more pessimistic forecasts. The Weather Channel is generally overly optimistic in my view and loves to hype potential storms.

But my favourite is my own.     I have a weather station and joined a network via WeatherUnderground that provides a 10 day forecast. I have only had this since the spring, but feel it is as accurate as any I have seen.

My backyard weather station in beautiful downtown Raspberry BC.  The map provides radar, webcams or satellite too.
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=49.336%2C-117.659&sp=IBRITISH233

WeatherUnderground also provides the WunderMap.  Here you can see the many other private, airport and industry weather stations for realtime reporting of conditions. Just click on them. The map also shows radar. Just click on the choices for the map for stations, radar etc.
http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?lat=49.336000&lon=-117.659000&zoom=8&pin=Castlegar%2c%20BC&rad=1&rad.type=00Q&wxsn=0&svr=0&cams=0&sat=0&riv=0&mm=0&hur=0


There you go for what it is worth.  

[bubba zanetti]

One more tool.  This fellow has amassed a site for webcams. It works for me by tracking the progress of weather by conditions on the webcam. Covers US and even Alberta !
http://www3.telus.net/ruping/webcams/pyrwebcams.html   ... shhh ... its a secret site.  

[lingo dingo]

Fantastic resources    Thanks, Bubba.

[UHOH]

Nice.  What individual weather station model do you have, Bubba?
I've thought on joining weather underground, but haven't got beyond the weather station selection.

[mugwump58]

 

[bubba zanetti]

Nice.  What individual weather station model do you have, Bubba?
I've thought on joining weather underground, but haven't got beyond the weather station selection.

I have had a couple of Wx stations over the years.


http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weather_product.asp?pnum=06162

I went big on my first one. A Davis Vantage Pro 2 Plus. All the bells and whistles as well as software for the web. This was 10 years ago and it worked well for about 9 years then stopped sending a signal from the station. I replaced a capacitor, solar panel but it still will not send to the base station so it sits in my garage. Was going to send it to Davis to refurbished but then saw one of these ...


http://www.acurite.com/environment/weather-stations.html?features_weather_stations=135

Accurite 5 in 1 with some software that allows you to use an app to see your backyard data. Uploads to WeatherUnderground and is 1/10 the price of the Davis setup. Pretty accurate too. On the below forum, you might find a coupon for another !0% off.  Wireless like the Davis, but it runs off batteries with the solar panel driving the fan to vent the housing for better temperature accuracy. Whereas the Davis runs off the solar panel and has a storage battery/capacitor setup for night. I was a bit worried about the batteries, but I am still on my first set 7 months later and will swap them out before temps really cool. You need to use good batteries though.

A lot depends on where you place them as to the info they give on wind and temps. Again, the forum below has much info on that. But all in all I am very pleased with the cheap system. You can upgrade the base station to a fancier panel, but I just got the basic one and use the phone app or WeatherUnderground.

These are just two of many choices. You can simply buy a sensor with a weather vane or go crazy.


This is mine in my backyard ... before I found a permanent location.
Looks cheap and is, but works well for me.




You can get your feet wet here with yet another forum - this one weather geeks! Beware, they are an opinionated bunch!
http://www.wxforum.net/

[KLRchickie]

Fantastic resources    Thanks, Bubba.

Indeed!
Thanks, Bubba.

[ST1300Rider]

Jim, I'm very interested in one of these and have a mounting location in mind but I can't (quickly) find out the weight of the sensor. Any help?

[bubba zanetti]

It is about 3 lbs maybe 4 ... as for mounting, make sure to use something that won't bend in wind. If the sensor goes off level, it will skew the wind instruments.

Try this code at checkout   WX4LA20

[ST1300Rider]

It is about 3 lbs maybe 4 ... as for mounting, make sure to use something that won't bend in wind. If the sensor goes off level, it will skew the wind instruments.

Try this code at checkout   WX4LA20

Thank's Jim. I ended up picking one up at Lowes. I'll order the Internet Bridge from the US when they're back in stock. I'll try the code then.

[bubba zanetti]

Steve, with your lower temps, be sure to use Lithium batteries. I see the one from Lowe's has the better base station. Which is good till you get the Internet bridge. Weather underground has a nice couple of apps too

[ST1300Rider]

Lithium installed. Everything seems to be working as advertised.  

[bubba zanetti]

Welcome to the Oddly Old who have weather gizmos in their back yard !    

I try to defy that assessment, by my past as a pilot, living in Victoria (which has weird weather ) , kayaking in the ocean will do that to you, owning a boat that plied the ocean and the Gulf Islands, motorcycling in general on the wet coast. Why any of those pursuits would not lead you to a better understanding of weather, is ...  well .....

GET OFF MY WEATHER !!!     Ooops ... forgot ... you have to be old.  

[ST1300Rider]

Welcome to the Oddly Old who have weather gizmos in their back yard !

Thank You   

I try to defy that assessment, by my past as a pilot, living in Victoria (which has weird weather ) , kayaking in the ocean will do that to you, owning a boat that plied the ocean and the Gulf Islands, motorcycling in general on the wet coast. Why any of those pursuits would not lead you to a better understanding of weather, is ...  well .....

GET OFF MY WEATHER !!!     Ooops ... forgot ... you have to be old.  

Ah, remember who you're talking to youngster.  

[bubba zanetti]

Did you order that online from Lowe's ?  If so, what did they charge for shipping?

[ST1300Rider]

Did you order that online from Lowe's ?  If so, what did they charge for shipping?

Found it on line, picked it up in the store, was in the city for the weekend.

[ST1300Rider]

Thanks for your help Bubba. Up and running, connected to the "Wunderground" and pleased.

[bubba zanetti]

Good stuff.