Getting StartedWeatherScope
Agricultural products
Fire products
Weather products
Download and installation
Using WeatherScope in your Web browserWeatherScope maps and graphs can be viewed either in your Web browser or by opening the WeatherScope program independently. To work with WeatherScope in your browser, use the following commands:
Using the WeatherScope program independentlyWeatherScope maps and graphs can be viewed either in your Web browser or by opening the WeatherScope program independently. To open an Agweather product in WeatherScope, click the right mouse button and choose "Open in WeatherScope" from the pop up menu. To work with the WeatherScope program independently, use the following commands:
Printing maps and graphsWeatherScope maps and graphs can be viewed either in your Web browser or by opening the WeatherScope program independently. However, in order to print, the map must be opened in the independent WeatherScope program. If you're looking at a map in your Web browser, right click on the map in order to see the pop up menu. Select "Open in WeatherScope." Then, go to the "File" menu in the top left of the window and select "Print." Back to TopSaving maps and graphsWeatherScope maps and graphs can be viewed either in your Web browser or by opening the WeatherScope program independently. However, in order to save a map or graph, it must be opened in the independent WeatherScope program. If you're looking at a map in your Web browser, right click on the map in order to see the pop up menu. Select "Open in WeatherScope." Then, go to the "File" menu in the top left of the window and select "Save As." Back to TopZooming and menu changesWeatherScope maps can be viewed either in your Web browser or by opening the WeatherScope program independently. The commands to zoom in and out, and to make menu changes are different between the browser and the independent program. Refer to the sections "Using WeatherScope in your Web browser" and "Using the WeatherScope program independently" for help with zooming and making menu changes. Back to TopAlfalfa Weevil AdvisorThe Oklahoma Alfalfa Weevil Advisor is a tool that can help growers determine the need and proper timing for insecticide applications to avoid serious weevil damage. After 150-degree day heat units have accumulated since January 1, it is time to begin scouting alfalfa fields. To assess alfalfa weevil activity, collect a 30-stem sample, from 30 evenly-spaced spots across the dry interior portions of the field. Place the collected stems in a 2-3 gallon container and beat vigorously against the inside of the container for 10-20 seconds. Count and record the number of larvae that fall out. To determine alfalfa height, select 10 stems and record their average length to the nearest inch. Consult the Spraying Recommendation Table to determine whether spraying is necessary, or when the fields should be scouted again. Back to TopCattle Stress AdvisorOklahoma's weather extremes can have a direct and dramatic impact on grazing livestock. When weather conditions are ideal and livestock are "comfortable", their performance and nutritional requirements are not affected. However, extreme weather conditions can dramatically alter feed intake, reduce daily weight gain, and increase nutritional requirements. The Oklahoma Mesonet Cattle Stress Advisor is a tool to assist cattle producers in identifying stress periods caused by extreme weather conditions. This index provides a measure of cattle stress to let producers know when weather conditions are stressing cattle. Both cold and heat stress indexes are run year round. Cattle heat stress can be reduced by providing ample water, avoiding cattle handling, changing feeding patterns, providing shade, improving airflow, misting water and controlling biting flies. Research indicates that the effects of cold, wind, wet hair coat and muddy pastures and pens are additive. These stresses can be managed to a limited degree. During times of cold stress, producers should make a small increase in energy fed during wet, cold weather, and extend this feed energy increase into more pleasant weather in order to help the cow regain lost energy. A second approach is to reserve the highest quality hay for feeding during stressful weather. Back to TopDegree-day Heat Unit CalculatorDegree-day heat units provide agricultural producers and crop consultants a way to estimate the variation in crop growth and pest development, based on recent weather conditions. Degree-day heat unit indexes were developed as a tool to measure the heat units that drive plant growth and insect development. The following are the lower and upper temperature thresholds for agronomic crops on the Agweather Web site.
Dispersion AdvisorThe Dispersion Advisor was developed to aid in decision making with respect to the release of gases and small particulates near the earth's surface. Examples include pesticides released by surface or aerial spraying, odors associated with animal waste, and smoke generated by fire. In such practices, it is important to know both (1) the ability of the atmosphere to spread about and dilute the material and (2) the direction the material will be transported. Based on the current or forecasted weather conditions, the Dispersion Advisor assigns one of six "Dispersion Condition" categories. The six categories are:
The Dispersion Advisor is commonly used for determining the best times to perform farm activities such as hog lagoon management, prescribed fire, application of hormone herbicides, etc. When the map indicates conditions in the "Excellent (6)" to "Moderately Good (4)" range, it is generally safe to perform tasks listed. Times showing "Moderately Poor" conditions might be acceptable if the wind direction were such that it would carry the gases and particulates away from areas of concern. With winds blowing toward areas of concern, it is best to avoid "Moderately Poor" conditions. When dispersion conditions are "Poor (2)" to "Very Poor (1)," listed activities should be avoided. In making a final decision to conduct an activity that will produce gases or particulates, consider wind speed, wind direction and rainfall. The Dispersion Advisor may show acceptable dispersion conditions when wind speed, wind direction or rainfall are unacceptable for the activity being planned. Back to TopIrrigation SchedulerThe Irrigation Scheduler is a weather-based tool that estimates the combined daily water loss of evaporation from the soil and plant transpiration. Using weather data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, individual crop irrigation schedulers estimate daily crop water loss in inches of water. The far right column in the Irrigation Scheduler is the water balance, calculated by subtracting rainfall from the daily crop water use. The following crops have Irrigation Schedulers on Agweather:
Peanut Leaf Spot AdvisorThe Peanut Leaf Spot Advisor was created to help growers schedule fungicide applications for early leaf spot, a foliar disease of peanuts. It is based on the accumulation of "leaf spot hours", periods during which temperature and humidity conditions are favorable for disease development. The Peanut Leaf Spot Advisor calculates the number of leaf spot hours that have occurred since 30 days after planting or since the start of the last unprotected period, whichever is later. If that number equals or exceeds 36 leaf spot hours, a fungicide application is recommended. The Peanut Leaf Spot Advisor runs from May 1 through October 31. It is updated daily and typically available by 11 a.m. CDT each morning. Back to TopPecan Scab AdvisorThe Pecan Scab Advisor was developed to help growers properly time fungicide applications for pecan scab disease. The Pecan Scab Advisor assumes that a correctly applied fungicide protects the crop for two weeks following application. The Pecan Scab Advisor calculates the number of scab hours that have occurred over the last 14 days. If no fungicide application date was entered, the advisor uses March 1 as a default. Knowing the pecan scab hours and the susceptibility of the pecan variety, the grower can decide whether to make a fungicide application or not. The threshold for highly susceptible pecan varieties is 10 scab hours, for moderately susceptible varieties 20 scab hours, and for natives and less susceptible varieties 30 scab hours. Pecan scab susceptibility for Oklahoma recommended pecan varieties
(from Damon Smith, OSU Pecan Pathology Specialist, and Michael Smith, OSU Pecan Researcher, on April 21, 2008.) The Pecan Scab Advisor runs from March 1 to August 31. Pecan Casebearer AdvisorThe Pecan Casebearer Advisor was developed to help growers scout for pecan casebearers, in anticipation of properly timing insecticide applications. The Pecan Casebearer Advisor is measured in degree-day heat units. Action recommendations are based on the number of degree-day heat units. Refer to the table below:
Spinach White Rust AdvisorSpinach white rust is a fungal disease that produces white, blister-like pustules on the lower leaf surface. Tissue surrounding the spore-filled pustules turns brown and dies. This disease occurs frequently in Oklahoma. The Spinach White Rust Advisor was developed to assist producers in making spinach disease management decisions. It calculates spinach white rust hours, and provides spinach growers and industry professionals with a variety of decision support products. The Spinach White Rust Advisor identifies times of likely disease outbreak. It is designed to estimate the likelihood of disease from secondary infection cycles. It is NOT effective for determining when a primary infection might occur. A fungicide application is recommended when 12 white rust hours have accumulated, since the date of the first true leaf or the end of the 7-day fungicide control window, regardless of the number of days it takes to accumulate 12 white rust hours The Spinach White Rust Advisor runs from September 15th to May 15th. Back to TopWatermelon Anthracnose AdvisorThe Watermelon Anthracnose Advisor was developed to help producers schedule fungicide applications for watermelon anthracnose. The Watermelon Anthracnose Advisor is measured in infection hours. It calculates the number of infection hours that have occurred since the date of the last fungicide application or since the first flowering date of the male watermelon flowers, depending on where the user enters information. If the infection hours equal or exceed 80 hours, the Watermelon Anthracnose advisor recommends a fungicide application. After a fungicide has been applied, the advisor recommends an additional spray when 80 additional infection hours have accumulated since the date of the last fungicide application. The Watermelon Anthracnose Advisor runs from May 1 to October 31. Back to TopWheat First Hollow Stem AdvisorThe "Wheat First Hollow Stem" map shows the typical date of first hollow stem in the wheat variety Jagger, the earliest variety to reach first hollow stem. The dates are based on the experience of Dr. Gene Krenzer, retired OSU wheat extension specialist. The dates on the map are located over the Mesonet tower location closest to the wheat field reported. The dates are displayed as Julian days. When the Julian date is entered in the "Date Converter" at the top of the map, the corresponding month and day will appear to the right of the "Convert>" box. Back to TopWheat Growth Day CounterThe Wheat Growth Day Counter (previously Number of Days GDD>0) is a table that shows the number of days when wheat degree-day heat units were positive from a specified planting date. The temperature base used is 40¡F. Table data are used in making Greenseeker nitrogen fertilizer recommendations. For additional information on the OSU Nitrogen Use Efficiency, click the "OSU Nitrogen Use Efficiency" Agweather menu item in the "Wheat Fertilization" section. Back to TopBurning indexBurning index directly relates to the intensity of a fire. It corresponds to the difficulty of containing or suppressing the fire. To calculate flame length (in feet) at the head of the fire, divide the burning index by 10. For example, if the burning index equals 80, the flame length would be 8 feet. The U.S. Forest Service's interpretation of burning index is as follows:
Back to Top Ignition componentThe ignition component is the probability (0-100 percent) of a firebrand producing a fire that will require suppression. A firebrand is an item that has the capability of starting a fire, such as a burning ember or a cigarette. Back to TopEnergy release componentThe energy release component measures the heat released per unit area at the head of the fire. It is the least variable of the fire danger maps on a day-to-day basis. This is because the energy release component is based solely on the fuels and their moisture content. Back to TopSpread componentThe spread component is equal to the speed of the head fire in feet per minute. It is the most variable of the fire danger maps because of the changes in wind speed, and in moisture content of the live and dead fuels. Back to Top1-hour dead fuel moistureDead fuels are those fuels whose moisture contents are controlled exclusively by changing environmental conditions, such as temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall. Examples include dead roundwood on the ground, fallen dead leaves and needles, dead leaves and twigs on shrubs, and the litter of the forest floor. Dead fuels are divided into four "time lag" categories: 1-hour, 10-hour, 100-hour, and 1000-hour. The shorter the time lag, the more responsive the fuel is to changing weather conditions. The table below shows the approximate diameters or depths associated with the four time lag classes.
Back to Top Heat indexThe heat index is calculated from air temperature and relative humidity. It is a measure of how hot humans really feel. It is important to note that heat index values were devised for shady, light wind conditions. Exposure to full sunshine can increase the heat index values by up to 15¡F. Strong hot, dry winds can also increase the heat hazard.
Elderly persons, small children, chronic invalids, those on certain medications or drugs (especially tranquilizers and anticholinergics), persons who are obese and those with alcohol problems are more susceptible to heat disorders.
RadarThe radar can operate in one of two scanning modes. The usual mode we are accustomed to viewing is "Precipitation Mode". The dBZ scale in precipitation mode is 0 to 75 dBZ. When the radar operates in precipitation mode, it will produce refresh every 5 or 6 minutes. The radar also has a more sensitive "clear-air" mode in which the radar antenna rotates more slowly. The scale in clear-air mode runs from -32 to +32 dBZ, which is on the very bottom of the precipitation mode scale. When the radar detects precipitation echoes when it is in clear-air mode, it will automatically switch to precipitation mode. Clear-air mode is useful in tracking atmospheric boundaries like cold fronts and dry lines because they are more distinct than in precipitation mode. Because the radar measures radiation, it uses a complex equation to convert the radiation (measured in Watts) to a quantity called reflectivity, abbreviated as dBZ. In general, reflectivity values are related to the rainfall rate, with higher reflectivity values corresponding with heavier rainfall. The following table gives general rule-of-thumb interpretations for dBZ values:
Solar radiationAgweather sunlight or solar radiation values are reported as watts per meter squared. The maximum potential in the summer near noon is close to 1,000 watts per meter squared. In the winter the maximum potential is lower due to a shift in the earth's axis. Refer to the table below for general solar radiation conditions.
Back to Top Wind barbsWind barbs are the standard meteorological symbol to show both wind speed and direction. The wind barbs used on the Agweather Web site are centered on Mesonet tower locations. The dot end of the wind barb shows the direction the wind is blowing to. The shaft of the wind barb shows the direction the wind is coming from. The length and number of wind barb flags indicates the current 15-minute average wind speed to the nearest 5 miles per hour. A single short flag represents a 5-mph wind. A single long flag is displayed when the wind reaches 10 miles per hour. Multiple flag values are added together to indicate wind speed, until the winds reach 50 miles per hour. A pennant, along with flags as needed, are displayed when the wind speed is 50 miles per hour or higher. Back to TopWind chillThe wind chill index is calculated from the temperature and wind speed to estimate how cold the air appears to be when the wind is blowing. Oklahoma Mesonet wind chill products are based on the new wind chill formula below, adopted by the National Weather Service on November 1, 2001. Wind Chill (¡F) = 35.74 + 0.6215T - 35.75(V0.16) + 0.4275(V0.16) Where: T = air temperature (°F)V = wind speed (mph) The new formula was developed to more accurately reflect the human danger to frostbite and cold exposure. Frostbite occurs in 15 minutes or less at wind chill index values of -18°F or lower. For more information, go to --- www.nws.noaa.gov/om/windchill/index.shtml. Back to Top |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
" button is black (not gray), the map is already synched to the current
time. If the "
" button is gray, click on it to synchronize to current time.
" button. When the button is activated, it is black. When it is inactivated,
it is gray. Next, go to the "Window" menu in the top right and select "Show
Animator." Use the play, stop, pause, forward and backward buttons to animate
the map.