Final report on the Portable Weather Station, March 2012

(2010) Final report on the Portable Weather Station, March 2012. Transportation, Department of

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Abstract

This station was required to have air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, and pavement temperature sensors of similar quality to the traditional RWIS sensors, have an integrated solar powered battery system, and be trailer-mounted for ease of transport. The station was tested by the Iowa DOT for basic reliability and sensor performance for a month and a half in Ames, Iowa before being moved to near Osceola, Iowa in early February 2010 for further field testing and evaluation. DOT field maintenance staff was able to successfully set up the station with minimal instruction and found the station to be relatively intuitive in its installation. Air temperature, wind speed, and wind direction observations from the station were compared to a nearby RWIS station and had good agreement. Pavement temperature readings were compared to sites within 40 miles of the station, and the readings correlated. The station has had good reliability.