Quick Preview of this Month’s Contents

• New Product! WeatherLink for Mac OS X for Perception, Wizard, and Monitor
• Dangerous Animals Swarm Cities Worldwide!
• Weather Envoy Passes Tough Finnish Test
• Tech Tips: Where Should You Install Your Weather Station?
• Antarctic Station Sending Photos Home
• Watch Your Language, E-News Editor!
• High School Teacher Inspires Future Meteorologist-Engineer-Electrician-Astronauts
• What an Honor! Mount Washington has "The Worst Weather in the World!"
• You’re Brilliant! Answers to Quiz Questions
• Who You Gonna Call? Davis!

New Product! WeatherLink for Mac OS X for Perception, Wizard, and Monitor
Back in July, we announced the arrival of our new WeatherLink software for Mac OS X for Vantage Pro. Now, Davis is delighted to announce our WeatherLink for Mac OS X for Perception II, Weather Wizard II or III, and Weather Monitor II. (Applause here!!) It includes an improved graphical interface with customizable bulletin and browser; a conversion utility that lets you transfer data from your existing WeatherLink database; a new rain database that will let you view total rainfall by month and year and that can be updated with historical data; strip charts that let you view multiple weather variables on a single screen; and additional weather variables, including degree-days, temperature/humidity hours, soil temperature hours, and chilling requirements. Our new WeatherLink for Mac OS X will also let you transfer data and clear highs and lows each day; graph data from multiple days, weeks, months, or years on the same screen; see time of sunrise and sunset for any date, any latitude and longitude; and post current and historical weather conditions to your website or LAN. !

As a way of saying thanks, we've got a special offer for those of you who already own WeatherLink for Mac Plus: you can upgrade to the new software for Mac OS X for just $39 - that's $10 less than our normal upgrade price - for a limited time!

Our complete WeatherLink for Mac OS X package, with data logger and software, costs $165. With our special upgrade offer, you keep your existing data logger and cable, and pay only $49 for the software upgrade. Place your order by February 28, and we'll give you $10 off. You pay just $39.

To order, visit our website or call Customer Service at 1-800-678-3669. We're open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

Weather Check Quiz Question 1: Happy New Year! According to the NOAA, how did 2002 stack up, weatherwise, for the United States? Was 2002 warmer, cooler, or of average temperature? Were there more, fewer, or average Atlantic hurricanes in 2002? Was 2002 an "El Niño Year?"

Dangerous Animals Swarm Cities Worldwide!
There's always one quiz question in each issue that starts a thought rolling from some curious and/or informed reader's mind right on to ours.

This time, it was the question about the most dangerous animal, which we claimed was the mosquito. A few readers questioned whether or not a mosquito is even an animal. Most of us think of animals as being furry, or at least with an internal skeleton, but, mosquitoes are indeed animals. Once that was resolved, we moved on to consider other animals that are pretty darned dangerous, depending on how you look at the question. For example, Bob Sauer suggested that the polar bear might be considered quite dangerous, and we agree. Would there be any choice between spending a night with a mosquito zzzz-ing around the bedroom or an hour with a hungry polar bear snuffling around outside your igloo? We'll take our chances on malaria or encephalitis, thank you, and the mosquito will have to take her chances on our rolled-up newspaper.

But G. David Thayer says we're all wrong. The most dangerous animal to human beings has to be the human being! In an effort to substantiate this reasonable assertion, we wandered onto several fascinating compilations of population data, most of which scared us good. We've entered the new century along with a record number of species-mates: 2000 was the year when the population of us dangerous animals reached 6 billion, with the last billion being added in just the last 12 years.

One of the best sites we found, the Museé del Homme Paris exhibit of "6 Billion Human Beings" is interactive, beginning with a running ticker of new humans. You can enter your age and see how many people in the world are older than you, and how many are younger. You can also find out how many people born the same year as you are already dead. If you are 45 years old, 38% of those born with you in 1957 are already gone.

But how did all those folks die? Of the approximately 50,500,000 deaths per year, how many were caused by other human beings? We couldn't find the exact number, and it's no surprise. Of all the deaths recorded worldwide, the cause of death can be medically certified in only about 30% of the cases. And even when the causes are known, it's still not so simple.

Many deaths are directly caused by other human beings as the result of war, crime, or accidents. The "6 Billion Human Beings" website estimates about 3.5 million annual deaths due to violence.

But it is estimated that about one third of all deaths are linked to tobacco, alcohol, and cholesterol. Is death by tobacco a human-caused death? 60% of child deaths in developing nations are due to poverty, unsanitary conditions, and lack of clean water. Is life-threatening poverty inflicted on humans by other humans? In Africa, AIDS, spread from one human being to another, has bumped heart disease out of the number one cause of death position. Iron deficiency, indoor air pollution, accidents, malnutrition, and obesity - all killers, and none of them what we'd call "natural." The problem of assigning which deaths are human-caused and which are not gets very sticky indeed.

But if we are going to look at human beings as a threat, then we have to look at overall affect on human population. People do die everyday, but not quite as fast as others are born. The world's human population is growing at a current rate of about 1.2% per year, down from a whopping 2% in the 1980's. The UN predicts growth rates to stabilize in the next century, with 12 billion people sharing your great-great-great-grandchildren's air by 2120. The point here is that we may be killers, but we're not quite lethal enough (yet…) to actually have a net negative effect on human population.

So, we leave it to you. Which is the most dangerous? Mosquito, bear, or somebody else's child?

The United Nations Population Division has loads of information on this topic.

Weather Check Quiz Question 2: Six countries account for a full half of the annual population growth. Name four for a B, 6 for an A+.

Extra Credit: In 2000, there were 180,000 centenarians. We are planning our own 100th birthday for around 2050, and will be ordering 3.2 million invitations for all the other centenarians who will be around then. To which countries will we be sending most of our invitations?

Weather Envoy Passes Tough Finnish Test
Our Finnish distributor, Illka Lilja, wrote to tell us that our new Weather Envoy had passed a pretty brutal test: the Finnish winter. Being a resident of a place with a very long and cold winter, he set out to test the Envoy's ability to work in the cold. According to the Envoy manual, the unit is rated to withstand temperatures as low as -10ºC. However, Illka's unit, which he placed outdoors, under an umbrella, but not in a shelter, was just fine, working away despite routine lows in the -20'sºC, and even at his December record low of -30.4ºC. He suggests that the manual be revised! While we will probably leave our specs alone for now -- we like to use specs that are conservative -- we are happy to know our little Envoy can take the Finnish December in stride. Meanwhile, Ilkka is hoping for an even colder January to see just how tough it is!

Weather Check Quiz Question 3: In theory, what is the coldest possible temperature of air? How does this temperature relate to the Kelvin scale? What is the coldest outdoor temperature ever recorded?

There are several different standards of placement for your weather station, including Davis's own standards. Steve Anderson of the National Weather Service thought our readers would like the official NWS regulations on siting temperature sensors and rain collectors.

"As you well know," writes Steve, "not every location will be able to conform to these rules and regulations, especially in urban areas. It is our job to see that each NWS site conforms as best as possible to these regulations."

Here are the NWS regulations. Thanks, Steve!

Temperature sensor siting:

• The sensor should be mounted 5 feet +/- 1 foot above the ground.
• The ground over which the shelter [radiation] is located should be typical of the surrounding area.
• A level, open clearing is desirable so the thermometers are freely ventilated by air flow. Do not install the sensor on a steep slope or in a sheltered hollow unless it is typical of the area or unless data from that type of site are desired.
• The shelter should be no closer than four times the height of any obstruction (tree, fence, building, etc.).
• The sensor should be at least 100 feet from any paved or concrete surface.

Precipitation gauge siting: The exposure of a rain gauge is very important for obtaining accurate measurements.

• Gauges should not be located close to isolated obstructions such as trees and buildings, which may deflect precipitation due to erratic turbulence.
• To avoid wind and resulting turbulence problems, do not locate gauges in wide open spaces or on elevated sites, such as the tops of buildings.
• The best site for a gauge is one in which it is protected in all directions, such as in an opening in a grove of trees. The height of the protection should not exceed twice its distance from the gauge. As a general rule, the windier the gauge location is, the greater the precipitation error will be.
  

Antarctic Station Sending Photos Home
Early in December, we heard from our friends at Stanford University who have installed Davis weather stations in Antarctica. They were excited to report that the first pictures had been received from the camera on the newest weather station at Patriot Hills.

"The Davis weather station is working fine and data will be posted as it comes in," Ronald Ross told us. "And there's more good news: the Davis weather station at Blue One on the other side of the continent is back operating now that the sun has returned."

Weather Check Quiz Question 4: The temperature of Antarctic waters, 28ºF (or -1.9ºC), is below the freezing point for salt water. Why don't the native fish freeze solid?

Watch Your Language, E-News Editor!
Larry McDavid of Anaheim, CA, had a thought about this quiz question in our last issue: "Dave noticed that the Weather Monitor II station was up on the [bungee jumping] platform, not on the ground. Would the wind readings really be that much different if it were? Why?"

Larry wrote, "The Weather Monitor II station was on the platform up on the tower? I don't think so. The anemometer probably was up on the tower but the station was almost certainly down at ground level. So, there should not be any difference in the anemometer readings regardless of where the Weather Monitor II station is located!"

In this case, the whole station, including the console was, apparently, up on the platform. But the question is a good one: what if only the anemometer was up there? That raises the question of just what constitutes a "weather station." A weather station is composed of many parts, from sensors to console. A weather station could be as small and low-tech as a coffee can rain collector, or it could be spread out over acres of a farm. It would be impossible to say that the leaf wetness sensor in the broccoli patch is not as much a "weather station" as the barometer in the console on the farmer's desk. We'd say if only the anemometer was on the platform, then the "weather station" was on the platform - especially in this case when wind speed was the primary data needed.

But, we get your point, Larry. E-Newsies like things specific and accurate!

Larry adds that he's used his Weather Monitor II and WeatherLink software for over nine years now. "It's fun to compare year-to-year readings," he wrote. "Of course, we don't have weather here in Los Angeles…" Thanks, Larry.

Jerry Cokely was interested in the origin of the phrase "raining cats and dogs."

"No doubt there will be many interesting and factual stories regarding this saying," he wrote. "(I can't wait to see how many)...so may I suggest this one is beyond any question and the only one that really makes any sense at all.

"It seems that way back in about 1500 (that was a good year) houses had thatched roofs -- thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and dogs and other animals (mice, bugs etc.) lived in the roof portion of the house. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying 'it's raining cats and dogs.'"

He goes on to write that the problem of "critters and stuff" falling into the house led to the creation of canopied beds.

Sounds logical to us. But our dog is not much of a climber, and all the cats we have known would die of embarrassment if they fell from a high spot, regardless of how wet or slippery it was. Seems the more likely phrase we'd have ended up with would have been, "Ye Gads! 'Tis raining rats, spiders, and chicken droppings!"

Jerry added this thought: "Too bad Davis wasn't around then...an indoor rain gauge could have been put to good use." (Consoles would forecast: "Light showers in the parlor, heavier in the bedroom with chance of falling vermin.")

High School Teacher Inspires Future Meteorologist-Engineer-Electrician-Astronauts
It looks like Turlock High School in Turlock, CA, has found one of those life-changing teachers we all want for our students in Robert Hoskins. The teacher and his science and engineering students were featured in an article in the Modesto Bee. Among the amazing things Hoskins has inspired his students to understand is the weather - and, they use a Davis weather station, of course, which is mounted on the roof of the technology lab. The data is posted to their website. But the students are also into electricity, package design (one that will keep a raw egg intact after being dropped form an airplane flown by Hoskins), robots, and rockets. The story is on the Modesto Bee's website.

What an Honor! Mount Washington has "The Worst Weather in the World!"
There are colder, snowier, wetter, foggier, and higher mountaintops in the world, but Mount Washington in New Hampshire boasts such a distinctive combination of miserable weather that it has been dubbed the "home of the worst weather in the world." And of all Mount Washington's weather miseries, the most miserable is probably the extreme wind that visits it on a regular basis. In fact, the highest wind speed ever recorded, 231 mph, was recorded at the Mount Washington Observatory, in April of 1934. Add to that a bone-freezing cold, and we're talking weather. A low temperature of 28ºF below zero has already been recorded at the observatory this brand new year, and that's not even a mild threat to the all-time record of -47ºF.

Mount Washington Observatory is gorgeous dressed up in its constant fog and ice. (Photo credit: Mount Washington Observatory Photo, www.mountwashington.org.)

The Mount Washington Observatory, a private, non-profit weather observation station, has been delighting weather enthusiasts with data on life-threatening high winds, freezing fog, frost, and extremely low temperatures for the past 70 years.

Peter Crane, Mount Washington Observatory's Director of Programs, summed up the basic theory of extreme weather enthusiasts. "The rougher it is," he said, "the better we like it."

Recording such extreme weather data requires very specialized equipment. Wind cup anemometers, which work fine for the observatory in the summer months, are not effective for measuring the extreme gusts and enduring the heavy ice of winter. For those measurements the observatory uses an anemometer that's not exactly like any other: their pitot-static anemometer (commonly used in aviation) measures wind speeds from a customized housing made just for Mount Washington. (Pitot-static anemometers determine wind speeds by measuring the difference between static and dynamic pressure. Davis uses a pitot-tube anemometer for NIST certification in our wind tunnel.) The observatory staff is currently engaged in researching a sonic anemometer -- with no moving parts at all -- which correlates the travel time of ultrasonic pulses to wind speed and gives a 3-D wind analysis.

But Davis is definitely part of the Mount Washington program. At the observatory's Weather Discovery Museum, (which is not up on the mountain top) there is a Davis Vantage Pro reporting data through our WeatherLink program to a computer for visitors to check out.

"And sometimes we use a [hand held] Davis Turbo Meter up on top of the mountain," Peter admitted, "as a sort of informal check of our specialized equipment."

Davis is also a partner in the observatory's educational component. Bryan Yeaton, the Observatory's Education Outreach Coordinator, is the host of The Weather Notebook which is heard on private and PBS radio stations nationwide. Brian is currently traveling across the United States in his specially equipped Subaru to the American Meteorological Society's Annual Meeting and WeatherFest in Albuquerque in February and he's taking us with him! Along the way, he will be visiting schools, radio stations and National Weather Station facilities. He'll be giving weather programs, talking to The Weather Notebook listeners on the air, and meeting with fellow weather educators. And what's right on top of that special Subaru? Yep, a Davis Vantage Pro! Check out The Weather Notebook.

Besides observing and recording weather data, the observatory is involved in research programs with universities, the government, and private companies. It welcomes visitors year-round, with the caveat that they can get up there. In the summer, it's just a robust hike up the 6,288 foot peak, a drive up a toll road, or a fun ride on the historic cog railroad. In the winter, however, the only access is by snow tractor, and low visibility often keeps the tractor off the mountain top. Members of the observatory may even volunteer for week-long winter stints to help the staff, and are often known to overstay their one-week shift waiting for the snow tractor to arrive.

What do the staff and volunteers do up there?

"The observatory is like a ship at sea," Peter said. "We have to be self-sufficient and there is a considerable amount of maintenance and repair that must be done besides weather observation."

For that reason, volunteers who have critical skills that free up the busy paid staff -- such as the ability to whip up a tasty, hot dinner -- are especially popular. The crew is also involved, when needed, in search and rescue procedures. The mountain has claimed many more lives that most mountains of its rather modest height. More than 100 people have died in falls, from hypothermia, avalanche, and ice falls. When a climber or skier gets into trouble, the crew of the observatory can often provide timely help.

There are a couple of year-round residents whose work at the observatory is in the area of snoozing and purring. Inga and Nin, a couple of feline weather observers are well-represented in the observatory's website photo gallery. In fact, a lovely but shivery photograph of Inga, caught outside in a frost and looking regal and elegant with her icy whiskers and fur, is one of the observatory shop's best selling items. (Followed closely by Davis weather stations, we hope…)

Next time you find the weather in your neighborhood a bit extreme, click on the Mount Washington Observatory's website and note the current conditions up there. We bet you'll feel much warmer

Weather Check Quiz Question 5: As if the wind and cold were not enough, there is fog present on Mount Washington about 60% of the time, reducing visibility even in the summertime. What is freezing fog? How is it different from ice fog or freezing rain?

You're Brilliant! Answers to Quiz Questions

Question 1: According to the NOAA, 2002 was a warm one, with the average temperature expected to be 53.6ºF. This makes it one of the 20 warmest years recorded. (In fact, NOAA scientists predict that, when all the data is analyzed, 2002 is likely to be the second warmest year on record for the world.) There were slightly fewer than average Atlantic hurricanes in 2002: of the 12 named storms, only four became hurricanes, with two classified as major hurricanes. (Average is 5 or 6 hurricanes with 2 or 3 majors.) And you bet it was an El Niño year. In fact, the Little Boy's name comes up in just about every other paragraph of the NOAA article.

Question 2: India (21%), China (12%), Pakistan (5%), Nigeria (4%), Bangladesh (4%), and Indonesia (4%).

Extra Credit: In 2050, the greatest populations of 100-year-olds will be in Japan, the United States, China, and India. We say:

• ,
• Happy Birthday,
• , and
• Janam Din Ki Badhai!

to us all!! (Note to multi-linguistic nitpickers: We apologize in advance. For a future 100-year old, we're doing pretty good!!)

Question 3: As air (or anything else) cools, the molecules slow down. If air were to be cooled to the point where the molecules possess a minimum amount of energy and theoretically, no movement (frozen air!), the temperature would be absolute zero, or -459ºF (-273ºC). Lord Kelvin, the British scientist, started his thermometer scale at absolute zero, so that he would never be bothered with negative numbers! On the Kelvin scale, 0ºK is absolute zero. The lowest field temperature ever actually recorded was -127ºF (-88ºC) in Vostok, Antarctica, August 1960. (Source: Meteorology Today by Donald Ahrens.)

Question 4: The Notothenioids, with some 120 marine species, find the Antarctic waters to be not too cold and not too warm, but just right. That's because they have adapted to produce "antifreeze" proteins in their bloodstreams. These homely (check out the Threadfin Pithead) guys make up 95% of the fish biomass in the region. (Source: Origins Antarctica)

Question 5: Freezing fog is what you get when fog is present and air temperature is below 32ºF. The resulting frost that is deposited on trees, ground and other surfaces can be thick enough to look as if it snowed. There are some good pictures of freezing fog in Rapid City, SD on the NOAA's website. Freezing rain falls as a liquid and freezes on impact. It causes a glaze on ground and surfaces. Ice fog is fog that is actually composed of ice particles. It occurs only in very low temperatures under clear conditions in polar latitudes and may produce a halo around the sun or moon. (Source: Weather.com glossary)

We think you should know, though, that if you're interested in the fastest possible reply, news@davisnet.com may not be the best place to send your message. Questions about how things work should be addressed to tech support directly at support@davisnet.com. For general information about the products, such as how much cable comes with a station contact sales@davisnet.com. To request a catalog, you’ll find links for catalog requests on our web site at http://www.davisnet.com/contact/catalog.asp

Please continue to send your comments, weather URLs, and story suggestions to news@davisnet.com. We look forward to getting your comments and any responses you have to the E-News. Member participation is what keeps the E-News alive and kicking.

Well, that’s it for this edition. You’ll be hearing from us again next month!


Vantage Pro, Weather Monitor, Weather Wizard, WeatherLink, Weather Envoy, Weather Echo and Weather Echo Plus, EZ Mount Gro Weather, EZ Mount EnviroMonitor, EZ Mount Health EnviroMonitor, and Perception are trademarks of Davis Instruments Corp