NEWA (Network for Environment and Weather Applications) 2014: A Year in Review

Abstract

The Network for Environment & Weather Applications (NEWA) conducts onsite environmental monitoring and transmits weather data to NEWA’s servers which automatically calculate and provide tabulated weather data summaries, degree days, and IPM forecast model results, Currently, over 25 tools are freely available in NEWA. Weather stations transmitting to NEWA via RainwiseNet have access to Rainwise features including graphing weather parameters and alarms for monitoring every parameter on the weather station. Connecticut joined NEWA in 2014. Individual membership was extended to farmers and Gays Mills, WI came online. NEWA has 290 station locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Rainwise AgroMET weather stations using cellular communications were deployed successfully. Twenty-eight presentations on NEWA were given, reaching almost 800 people. Station outage quality control messaging was implemented to alert people about station outages longer than 24-hours. NEWA Coordinators will work towards deploying virtual weather station locations and a responsive mobile web design in the future.