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Jonathan Williams | The Appalachian
Dr. C. Ray Russell checks the skies for precipitation. The ASU computer science professor runs the popular weather site www.booneweather.com. |
A man for all seasons
ASU prof moonlights as local forecaster
by Amanda Fowler
Staff Writer
For Christmas in 1999, Dr. C. Ray Russell’s wife gave him the weather station that today has expanded into the most widely read media outlet in Watauga County.
Russell, an associate professor in the department of computer science at Appalachian State University, also runs his own weather Web site, www.booneweather.com.
After receiving his weather station, Russell began posting weather data on his Appalachian Web site that averaged 150-200 page views per day in December 1999. On his Web site now, Russell gets over 200,000 page views on active weather days.
Russell has come a long way since his first weather station. Today, his Web site operates off 19 weather stations, taking his forecasts all over the High Country. Just recently, Ray’s Weather expanded its services to Wilkes County and Russell said he sees Morganton and Marion as their next goals. Russell said he is open to taking his forecasts other places, but Morganton and Marion are strategic targets right now.
A Web site expansion is also in the works. Russell said he has looked into a pay site that he hopes will be up in the fall. He predicted a possible $25-$35 yearly charge for access to a site that would include more features, such as weather models, picture archives and discussion between meteorologists on how they decided the forecast.
Even if the creation of the pay Web site happens, the current Ray’s Weather site will be available for free.
Russell estimates that he spends about eight to 10 hours a week working on his Web site, but on breaks and during the summer when he gets time away from school, his hours drastically increase because he has more time to work.
These hours are a reduction from what Russell worked in the past. He now has help with his weather predictions from three professional meteorologists who work part time at Ray’s Weather.
Having four people is a major advantage considering the complexity of weather forecasting in the High Country.
“We’re trying to forecast from the top of Beech Mountain to Triplet Valley,” Russell said. “Trickiness comes into play with elevation.”
Russell said there are some weather phenomena that only occur in the High Country. Cold air damming events happen only on the eastern slopes of the Appalachians.
“It’s the complexity and diversity in such a small piece of geography,” Russell explained.
The problem with finding an accurate forecast for the High Country can be tied to the fact that larger weather services do not have the resources to cover the area.
Russell said the problem with larger weather services is that because they are predicting weather for a huge region, their forecast is mostly a generalized prediction of what will happen to most people.
These services are unable to devote the resources to predicting weather for areas like the High Country.
“They’re never going to tell you what’s going to happen on top of Beech Mountain or on top of Grandfather Mountain,” Russell said.
But sometimes, even Russell himself can get it wrong.
Russell said the weather center missed two snowstorms this winter.
“We’ve had events this year where we could have a half- inch of snow on one side of Boone and have eight inches of snow on the higher elevations of the Tennessee line,” Russell said. “There is probably only a 25-mile difference. I still think our forecast is day in, day out by far the most accurate that you can find up here.
It is Russell’s accuracy that has won him loyal fans. Russell said he has been contacted by school superintendents requesting help on whether or not to cancel school or let school out early.
Ray’s Weather fans even range outside the High Country area. Russell said he has received e-mails from Appalachian parents saying that their students never call except to ask for money but, because of Russell’s site, they can at least see what the weather is.
Meeting people has been Russell’s favorite part of creating the Web site.
“I’ve gotten to know so many people through this,” Russell said. “It really gives you an appreciation for the people around here. It gives you a sense of the history and diversity of this area.”
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