Measuring variability in urban meteorology using low-cost weather stations

Monitoring neighborhood-scale variability of weather within cities is critical for understanding the causes of and developing equitable solutions for urban heat, flooding, and air pollution. This particularly true as conditions are not evenly distributed across cities, with low-income communities often in neighborhoods with highest temperatures and air pollution and most frequent flooding. However, there is lack of surface weather measurements within cities which prevents needed analysis of causes of spatial variability and of the efficacy of active or proposed interventions. Here we explore whether low-cost personal weather stations can fill this void. The Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative (BSEC), a DOE-funded urban integrated field laboratory, is deploying networks of low-cost (Ambient Weather) and research-grade (OttHydromet/Lufft) weather stations across Baltimore City, with a focus on under-served neighborhoods. We will present side-by-side comparisons of measurements from the two types of stations, as well as comparisons between the multi-station networks. Preliminary comparisons indicate the low cost weather stations are suitable for quantifying the within city variability of weather conditions, at a fraction of the cost or with much greater spatial resolution than research-grade stations. We will also discuss the use of low-cost instruments for community engagement.