William Paterson-Operated Weather Station Joins Statewide Network

Located on the edge of Oldham Pond in North Haledon, William Paterson’s environmental science weather station was modernized in 2018, transforming the almost 20-year-old facility into an advanced weather and climate data collection center.

The troves of tabulated meteorological information, which includes five-minute, hourly, and daily interval statistics collected since 2018, have been used by WP professors in lab activities to teach students how to monitor and analyze real-time weather data.

Now, the weather station, also known as station site “3591,” will contribute the data it collects to the NJ Weather and Climate Network, a statewide network that operates more than 50 sites, monitored by Rutgers University and accessible to the public.

“The weather station is an easy way for students and faculty to see what is happening weather-wise on campus in real time,” says Nicole Davi, professor and chair of environmental science. “Prior to the station being networked, there was a gap of coverage for this area. Now that the data is live, we can see that there are some interesting things happening right here in our backyard.”

With the help of WP senior Dayanara Maganalles, president of the Green League on campus, environmental sciences laboratory technician Michael DaSilva helped hardwire and test the cellular communications that allow the weather and climate network to collect the station’s data.

Want to check the weather? The WP station’s weather and climate data can be accessed at www.njweather.org/station/3591.

12/14/21