Grays Harbor PUD Reports New Wind Reporting Station Up and Running in Ocean Shores

Aberdeen- Real time wind speeds and direction are now available from Ocean Shores thanks to a newly installed wind reporting station. The installation of the new wind reporting station was the result of a partnership forged between Grays Harbor PUD and the National Weather Service Seattle in the wake of the December 2007 storm. After the devastating storm, the PUD and National Weather Service Seattle Forecast Office discussed the need for additional weather information during severe windstorms and worked cooperatively to site the wind reporting station in Ocean Shores at the PUD’s shop.



The National Weather Service and Grays Harbor PUD developed an agreement in which the weather service provided the equipment and the PUD provided a secure site for the equipment, access to backup power and a means to deliver the information to the web. “The wind reports have already been integrated into the forecast and warning operations, including the coastal storms we had this spring,” said Brad Colman, National Weather Service Seattle Meteorologist in Charge. “The reports have already provided a great ground truth on wind speeds and direction in Ocean Shores.”

This News is a service of:
       

The wind reporting station is located on the PUD microwave tower about 30 feet above ground. It retrieves wind data and posts them every 10 minutes including wind speed and wind gusts. The technology includes a data-logger attached to a PUD server that provides the means to post the data on the web for everyone to use. To view the data, go to www.weather.gov/seattle and select “state” under “observation maps” located in the left hand navigation. A map of Washington will be displayed with observation sites. Go to Ocean Shores on the map and click on the site “SEWWFO Ocean Shores.”



“This is a great tool that provides Grays Harbor PUD and the general public with wind information from the beach,” said Rick Lovely, General Manager of Grays Harbor PUD. “This additional information helps the PUD to make decisions regarding our response to power outages in powerful wind storms. We are able to evaluate conditions and make informed choices about dispatching crews,” said Lovely.



“We greatly appreciate the dedicated effort of the National Weather Service to ensure we have accurate and timely weather data. It is a great service to the PUD and to the residents and businesses living in the North Beach area,” said Lovely.