Proper siting of temperature platforms, Network of Networks, and other ramblings

The march towards higher and higher resolution in the numerical weather prediction models may make the WMO siting standards for temperature platforms unrealistic. NWP grid spacing have decreased from 110 KM in 1977's operational LFM model to 3 KM in the new Rapid Refresh Model. Such a grid scale would make result in entire grid boxes that are urban in nature. The siting of temperature platforms following traditional WMO guidelines would not be representative of these grid boxes. Instrumental siting requirements for high resolution weather forecasting may diverge from those required of instruments utilized for climate change studies.

There are many networks of meteorological platforms. Real time raw numbers are already available over the internet from sensors operated by federal and state governmental agencies, academia, and the commercial sector. There is a need to evaluate and organize these networks in order to utilize them to our best advantage. I'm on the Network of Network metadata working group, and will summarize some of the considerations.

I have some random notes on some neat weather events, and examples of some great web sites as well