Selecting a Weather Station for Winds (FSPro)

A Fire Behavior Specialist or Super Analsyt must select a weather station to generate the wind matrix, an input required by the FSPRo model to run. The two most important considerations for selecting a weather station that generates a wind matrix are the:

• Time filter, and
• Station citing in relation to the local topography and how it influences the recorded winds.

Select a station that best represents the winds influence for the fire area over its historical record and period of interest. For example, is the station located on a ridge top or valley bottom? Typically, data from weather stations located in valley bottoms reflect up-valley down-valley winds, while ridge-top stations will typically capture winds from 360 degrees, but of generally higher speeds. A station located in a north-south oriented valley bottom which captures only up-valley and down-valley winds will not be appropriate if the winds of concern are primarily from the west/southwest. If needed, you can modify winds.

The drop-down list of available stations contains only remote automated weather stations (RAWS). The closest station (based on a formula for distance and elevation) that is currently reporting observations will display as the default station in the dropdown list. To be included in the list of stations available for generating a wind matrix, a station must:

• Be a cataloged NFDRS weather station,
• Be active and collecting data in WIMS, and
• Have hourly wind information for both the ten-minute average winds and gusts.

In all cases, wind speeds of 90 mph are filtered out and not used when developing the winds distribution tables and winds roses.

Ask local fire personnel for their input on station selection, view station information and data in Fire Family Plus, or contact the GACC meteorologist for information regarding weather station selection applicability. After you select a weather station for winds, click Notes from the left-side menu list and document why you chose that particular station.

CAUTION: The actual weather data available for an individual station is unique to each station. In FSPro, the number of years, months or days within a specific year that actual weather data exist cannot be determined in WFDSS. The months and actual days a station actively collects information is best determined outside the WFDSS system. Knowing this is important when setting the date/time filter's years and start and end months.

To Select a Weather Station for Winds (FSPro)

1. Navigate to the analysis you want to select a weather station for and select it from the Analysis List.
2. Locate the Winds page of the analysis by doing one of the following:
   • Click View Information > click Winds from the menu options in the left pane.
   • From within an analysis, click Winds from the menu options in the left pane.
3. Click the dropdown arrow beside the Station ID field, and then select a weather station from the list.
4. Wait a brief moment, and the station information will populate for the weather station you selected.
5. From here, you can either Generate Wind Matrix, select a different station, or click Save to save your station selection.
6. -----------
   Last updated on 11/18/2011 5:19:52 PM.

 

In This Section Selecting Weather Stations for FSPro

See Also Selecting a Weather Station for ERC Classes (FSPro)

Reference Field Descriptions Glossary Resources Spatial Data Reference Landscape Data Source Reference Relative Risk Reference Organization Assessment Reference Fire Behavior Reference About the WFDSS Decision Editors