Providing "Potentially Life-Saving" Weather Info
Offering "potentially life-saving" weather information is par for the course at Columbia Weather Systems (CWS), whose Capricorn 2000(TM) weather station is an integral component of Dixon Weather Service in Central Missouri. This not-for-profit organization offers local weather information along with National Weather Service (NWS) watches and warnings.
"Our mission is to provide the citizens of the Dixon, MO area a source to obtain the most accurate, real time and potentially life saving weather warnings as issued by the NWS," says Tim Brandt, administrator at Dixon Weather Service.
Organization members also chase storms, document weather related events within 50 miles of Dixon, and function as a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). As a certified SKYWARN agency, Dixon Weather reports severe weather events to the NWS.
Capricorn 2000(TM) Weather Station - Fully Loaded
Originally started in 1997 by a group of friends that was interested in weather, the organization was "modernized" in 2004. It now boasts a website with current weather data provided by a Capricorn 2000 weather station. Besides the standard wind, temperature, pressure and humidity sensors, their weather station monitors rainfall, visibility, leaf wetness, solar radiation.
"We are using a Capricorn 2000 model weather station with all standard sensors plus the optional visibility sensor. We even have a heated rainfall collector for the numerous freezing or frozen precipitation events we have here each cool season," Brandt explains. "The Capricorn 2000 is used to monitor and record the real time weather data as measured by the sensors here in downtown Dixon, and we provide the current surface weather conditions to NWS, state government, local government, life flight helicopter, schools, citizens, various users, etc."
Their system also offers free email or text messages to pagers or cell phones when severe weather threatens.
No Down Time
"Our relationship with CWS has been an excellent experience for us! We have had very few trouble issues with the station hardware all of which were resolved near immediately and we have experienced NO down time," Brandt explains. "We have received excellent support and services from CWS and we highly recommend CWS."
As a not-for-profit service agency, Dixon Weather is funded through grants and donations, and operated by a crew of volunteers.
Weather stations manufactured by Columbia Weather Systems are used by local weather service organizations around the world.
