There is a FREE desktop application called Weather Exchange that allows you to access local weather data from around the world. The Weather Exchange Network is a partnership between Weather Underground and AmbientWeather.com and it's the largest amateur weather station network in the world.

Before I go any further, let me make a couple of quick comments about amateur weather stations. While most amateur weather stations do provide accurate weather data, many do not. Unfortunately, some people buy a weather station, throw it in their backyard and start uploading data to the internet without taking time to make sure their station is sited properly and their instruments are calibrated. Others will set up their station properly initially, but they do not send their data to MADIS for ongoing quality control checks and they have no idea that the data being reported from their station is no longer accurate. I am proud to say that the RGNS.com Weather Station maintains a near 100% accuracy rating with MADIS.

With that said, let me tell you little bit more about Weather Exchange. Once you install the software, all you need to do is enter the location of interest and you get the following:

Local Weather Conditions (temperature, humidity, dew point, wind chill, rain, wind speed and wind direction). Note that this data is only as accurate as the station reporting it. Also, some stations do not report as often as others so the age of the data varies by station.

Historical Data (temperature norms and extremes, rainfall)

Almanac (sun and moon data as well as a star chart)

5 Day Forecast

Weather Radars (local, regional, notional) Note that weather radar is only available in the US.

Weather Maps (temperature, wind chill, heat index, humidity, dew point, jet stream, etc.)

Weather Advisories

Customizable Weather Alarms

It's a lot of information to have available on your desktop and the best part is that it's free.

If you're interested in checking it out, the software can be download at
http://site.ambientweatherstore.com/WxEx/WxEx.exe

If anyone has questions or comments, please post them here.

I have always been a huge proponent of weather radios for your home. I cannot think of anything you can do to protect your family that gives you more bang for your buck than a weather radio. With spring just around the corner and the potential for severe weather that comes with it, now is the time to invest in one of these radios. They are not expensive. I wrote a short article a couple of years ago that gives a little more information about weather radios and how they work. That article can be found here.

As most of you are aware, the RGNS.com Weather Station is a member of the Weather Underground Data Exchange. Since we are a contributing weather station, I have some FREE memberships available to the Weather Underground website (wunderground.com). Although membership isn't required to get most weather information from Weather Underground, being a member allows you to use some enhanced features as well as view the entire site WITHOUT ads. Weather Underground is a great place to get local weather information throughout the United State and around the world. If you are interested in a free Weather Underground membership, just shoot me an email at sfagan@rgns.com and I'll send you one.

Welcome to Scott's weather blog. I will be using this blog to comment about and provide information on various weather related items. Blog entries will not be made every day; however, when there is the potential for significant weather (severe storms, snow, etc.) in the Rabun County area, I may make several entries in a single day.