Oklahoma/Kansas On-the-Road Weather Data

[Mike Gauldin]

Well, I'm working on a site that mimics some others like it, but is focused on Oklahoma and eventually Kansas (and maybe others as well).

I'm looking for some feedback on what is currently up. It is intended to be just Oklahoma for the moment. I want to get it ironed out before I start adding more states. If any of you would like to look it over and tell me what you think, it would be much appreciated. I know there's some of you that probably think it's stupid, and if so, don't use it. I'm looking primarily for what things need to be added/changed/removed. I'm still working on a few pages (greyed out in the menu) and there's a few others that might have a header in the side menu with nothing under it. Those I'm working on at the moment. If you have anything you think would be useful, please post a link to the page/image, what it is, and why it should be on the site.

I'm not subscribed to any weather data sites (like WeatherTap), and I've been debating if I should add it in, listed under a 'Subscription Only' header in the side menus where it should be. Any thoughts on that, and if any of you have something like WeatherTap, would you like to see and/or use it?

Thanks!

Again, this site is not completed as of yet.

LINK: http://www.okwx.net/wx/

 

[Rob Satkus]

Mike,

I like it! Since I am currently limited to chasing mainly Ok and the surrounding border areas it would be quite handy...the majority of things I look at on the road are all in one spot...I would certainly use it. I think it would be a good idea to add a Wx Tap link..Subscription only...as well.

Good work!

Rob

 

[Mike Gauldin]

I think it would be a good idea to add a Wx Tap link..Subscription only...as well.

Good work!

Rob

I can do that, just need links to the images and/or pages and what they are, since I don't have a subscrption. If anyone wants to send some over, just post'em or PM me.

 

[AlDanks]

Oklahoma On-the-Road Weather Data (feedback)

What do you intend to use the page for? That will answer what could/should go on the page.

What you have looks OK to me as far as it goes.

If you are interested in looking at some examples I have a couple of pages.

http://www.seekthetruthfirst.com/grweather.htm is used to evaluate a chase scenario. There's the SPC activity chart with hotlinks added to local radar sites. I like the SPC chart as it shows the outlook, watches, and radar loop. Clicking the SPC activity chart legend pulls up the SPC Mesoscale Analysis Page.

Meso discussion right under that. Tornado, Hail, Wind outlooks down to the left of the front map. Sounding map further down.

Links to the right of the SPC activity chart to NWS discussion (which helps narrow chase target and timing), and some other links for analysis.

Some links are redundant in case others are down.

http://www.seekthetruthfirst.com/grchase.htm is used during the chase. Trimmed for slower connections to the info most helpful during the chase.

If anyone wants to ante in some feedback on those page please do. I'm always looking to improve it.

 

[Mike Gauldin]

Pretty much the same idea you have, but everyone rolled into one low-bandwidth site for cell modem users on the road. Everything updates in 5 minute intervals automatically. This way you can keep an eye out for MDs and W/W from the SPC and the NWS W/W on the At-a-Glance page. Or you can do something like load the SPC Meso page (which has the MDs on it) into the side menu, and load a radar image into the main menu, and both will update so you don't have to flip between browser windows or sites just to get one graphic. The SPC MDs and W/W have a XML Feed to them so you can click to go straight to the SPCs MD/ W/W page for that particular statement without having to load the main SPC MD / W/W page. I'm working on getting models and soundings up as well so you can be doing some on the road forecasting to your target area.

I think I'm going to take off the SPC Meso page, since i can put the analysis page up under models, and the MDs up under maybe W/W. I've had a few suggest some WeatherTap links, so as soon as I can get them, I'll put them up. Most of the data has redundant sites in case one is down.

The goal is to have all of the most commonly used NWS/NOAA/SPC/college sites that people use on chases (for Oklahoma area, and soon Kansas) to be in one spot, for a low bandwidth enviroment. And again, they auto-refresh makes it hands free once you have it loaded.

So pretty much, I want people that would be using this in Oklahoma to let me know what else needs to be put on to make it useful to them.

I like yours by the way, pretty cool!

 

[Andrew Francis]

Nice. I'll definitely visit it. Thanks

 

[Mike Gauldin]

Thanks! Steve Miller (OK) has tested it on his T-mobile connection and said that none of the pages take more than about 9 seconds to load. I have another friend that supposed to be testing it with his Cingular connection, but I assume it would take just about and long.

If anyone else has tested it with a cell connection, let me know how it performs. I can't get around large image sizes (like on the GOES sounding), but everything else should be fairly fast on cell.

 

[Mike Gauldin]

UPDATE: Just letting you guys know I've added Kansas data to the site. Everything is pretty much done except the models page.