WeatherBug

An aerial shot over the VPAA campus showing the location of the WeatherBug station, on the rear of Building One.

This photo shows the WeatherBug mast with attached sensors as it is installed on the rear wall of Building One. It is over 20 feet from the ground to the roof, and the mast extends another 10 feet up to the top where the wind sensor is located.

A photo from the ground looking up towards the mast. A cable runs from the sensors, down the mast, into the exterior wall and into the TV studio where it connects to the data receiver.

A photo from up on the roof, looking eastward at the mast and sensors.

One of the requirements for setting up a new WeatherBug station is extensive writted and photographic documentation of all the conditions around the site, including rooftop images for the 4 cardinal points. This helps determine if there are any environmental conditions that might affect the data collected at the site (overhanging trees, tall buildings, extraneous sources of heat, etc.). As you can see from the photos below, the VPAA station is relatively undisturbed by anything nearby.

Sensors
1	Wind Speed and Direction The wind spins the black propeller as it blows (measuring speed) and also rotates the rear white fin pointing away from the wind (measuring direction).
2	Barometric Pressure and Humidity This housing contains temperature, humidity and barometric pressure sensors. The housing protects these sensitive sensors from sun, rain, and damaging winds.
3	Rain Gauge This housing contains a screened bucket that funnels rainwater through a small hole that drips into a 'tipping' sensor. Each time the sensor fills with .01 inch of rain, it empties - and records that rain to the data receiver. During a heavy rainstorm, you can stand at the data display in the TV studio and watch the numbers change.