Tools developers face the challenge of exposing a development methodology to users while concealing details of the underlying system. If that system is complex and subject to evolution, this problem can be particularly difficult. Here, we discuss the use of software design patterns in conjunction with StormCast, a system of tools developed to support environmental and weather monitoring tasks in the Arctic. Now entering its 5th generation, each version of StormCast has expanded the capabilities of the underlying distributed data management tools and computational facilities. This paper reviews StormCast 5.0, presents the design patterns used by developers, and describes several applications in terms of the application of these patterns.