Smart phones and Weather Forecasting

This morning, before I headed out for a hike, I checked my Weather Underground App to see what conditions I might experience (cool and warming but dry, at least until tonight).  Before I excited the App, I was asked if I wanted to contribute to the forecasting by allowing the App to record the local pressure.  Yes, not only does my phone record where I am, but can sense the atmospheric pressure!

I declined, but then wondered how much of my actions are already being recorded by location and actions.   hmmmm

Anyway, citizen based weather reporting is not a bad thing.  I even wrote about it back in 2005 in the paper titled "Emergency Preparedness and Tourism: Both Win with Help of the Amateur Meteorologist."  See this link for the paper.  The additional data provided by citizens makes for a better forecast.  Makes sense, right, after all, Denver's weather is not representative of the whole state.

Bristow, Robert S.; Leiker, Karl; DeBlois, Roland 2006. Emergency Preparedness and Tourism: Both Win with Help of the Amateur Meteorologist. In: Peden, John G.; Schuster, Rudy M., comps., eds. Proceedings of the 2005 northeastern recreation research symposium; 2005 April 10-12; Bolton Landing, NY. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-341. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 135-139.