Hello folks,
I've posted about this a time or two before, but wanted to make a formal announcement.
I've recently released an upgraded version of the National WeatherCam Network project I've been working on for the past few years. Obviously, this is a project I've devoted a lot of time to (since '05) and yet, is still far from complete.
I realize there are sites out there similar in scope, yet I feel mine is unique in some aspects, as it includes webcams from a multitude of sources (AWS, media outlets, state DOT's, etc...) and since I have manually added every single webcam using Virtual Earth, Google Earth, MapQuest, Yahoo Maps! (just about any source I can find aerial satellite imagery) to estimate locations.
Anyhow, I'm not here to toot my horn. I'm mainly here to share my work. As well as, hopefully receiving feedback, suggestions, and/or constructive criticisms.
I began very early incarnations of the project in early to mid-2005 with a mindset of developing a tool for the arm-chair chaser. Something that could be used to see or watch weather, as it is occurring, elsewhere. As the project expanded, however, I found many other uses for it. And found friends and coworkers that were curious. I realized that it could also be a very beneficial tool for operational forecasters. Being something they could also use to observe conditions in areas they are responsible for.
The result has produced a widespread area, from Alberta, Canada to Virginia with many, many hundreds of cams, showing sky conditions, road conditions, and the occasional blizzard or thunderstorm!
Again, I'm asking for any feedback or suggestions you, as forecasters, or arm-chair chasers, would like to see. Especially, if you know of webcams (static or streaming) that you use, personally, that would enhance your experience with the network.
Without any further ado...
http://www.mhartman-wx.com/wcn/
A few notes on this tool:
- A little patience is needed initially, since I am currently pulling all cams from a data file. The Google Maps API doesn't seem to like rendering several hundred markers all at once! (Eventually, I'm planning on implementing a marker manager that will plot only a number of markers at each zoom level.)
- The layers I include with the map (found in the drop-down MapType menu in the upper-right) are WMS (web map services) data layers. What this means is that occasionally, there may be temporal or spatial discontinuities.
- As you will see, I have two versions at this time. One that is optimized for 1024 x 768 resolutions and another for 1920 x 1200 resolution screens.
Also, I will apologize ahead of time for neglecting the Southern Plains. I know there is a very large chase community down there. I will get to these areas, I promise!
Thanks for your time...
I've posted about this a time or two before, but wanted to make a formal announcement.
I've recently released an upgraded version of the National WeatherCam Network project I've been working on for the past few years. Obviously, this is a project I've devoted a lot of time to (since '05) and yet, is still far from complete.
I realize there are sites out there similar in scope, yet I feel mine is unique in some aspects, as it includes webcams from a multitude of sources (AWS, media outlets, state DOT's, etc...) and since I have manually added every single webcam using Virtual Earth, Google Earth, MapQuest, Yahoo Maps! (just about any source I can find aerial satellite imagery) to estimate locations.
Anyhow, I'm not here to toot my horn. I'm mainly here to share my work. As well as, hopefully receiving feedback, suggestions, and/or constructive criticisms.
I began very early incarnations of the project in early to mid-2005 with a mindset of developing a tool for the arm-chair chaser. Something that could be used to see or watch weather, as it is occurring, elsewhere. As the project expanded, however, I found many other uses for it. And found friends and coworkers that were curious. I realized that it could also be a very beneficial tool for operational forecasters. Being something they could also use to observe conditions in areas they are responsible for.
The result has produced a widespread area, from Alberta, Canada to Virginia with many, many hundreds of cams, showing sky conditions, road conditions, and the occasional blizzard or thunderstorm!
Again, I'm asking for any feedback or suggestions you, as forecasters, or arm-chair chasers, would like to see. Especially, if you know of webcams (static or streaming) that you use, personally, that would enhance your experience with the network.
Without any further ado...
http://www.mhartman-wx.com/wcn/
A few notes on this tool:
- A little patience is needed initially, since I am currently pulling all cams from a data file. The Google Maps API doesn't seem to like rendering several hundred markers all at once! (Eventually, I'm planning on implementing a marker manager that will plot only a number of markers at each zoom level.)
- The layers I include with the map (found in the drop-down MapType menu in the upper-right) are WMS (web map services) data layers. What this means is that occasionally, there may be temporal or spatial discontinuities.
- As you will see, I have two versions at this time. One that is optimized for 1024 x 768 resolutions and another for 1920 x 1200 resolution screens.
Also, I will apologize ahead of time for neglecting the Southern Plains. I know there is a very large chase community down there. I will get to these areas, I promise!
Thanks for your time...