While some espouse that the weather never changes in San Diego, meteorologists find it difficult to get a handle on weather data in the county. Within a short distance, the temperature varies from the coastal area to inland valleys and from the mountain range to the desert.
In seeking more weather data in La Jolla, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) brought together two sub-branches ” the National Weather Service and the Southwest Fisheries Science Center ” to install a new weather station at the fisheries center, 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive.
Local leaders turned out to dedicate the station on Aug. 2, including Congresswoman Susan Davis (53rd District) and Chancellor Marye Anne Fox at the University of California, San Diego.
The weather station will measure temperature, humidity, pressure, rainfall, wind currents and dew point. Increased data on rainfall in the winter months will be especially useful, as it was an area void of information before, said Brad Doyle, observing program leader at the National Weather Service. In general, the data will aide forecasters, supplement research efforts and benefit locals.
Forecaster Miguel Miller compared the duty of the National Weather Service in regulating weather with the responsibility of the police to monitor neighborhoods. Both are in the business of protecting citizens and property.
“An observation from somewhere where we didn’t have an observation before might lead us to issue a warning that could save lives and property,” Miller said.
La Jolla’s latest weather station is part of a nation-wide tracking system that strives to obtain more weather figures. Dubbed “Mesonet” ” short for “mesoscale” (meteorological phenomena) and “network” ¸” the system seeks to partner with individuals or organizations that already have weather equipment or are willing to install it. Data is collected hourly and sent via the internet to the weather service. Officials visit the site to ensure that the equipment is accurately located and operable.
“A lot of things happen that we simply don’t detect because we don’t have enough weather stations and equipment across the area,” Miller said.
The equipment’s cost of approximately $1,000 was shared by both branches of NOAA.