Spruce Knob Weather Resources

NWS forecast information for SKMC

The SKMC weather station that is on site. https://www.wunderground.com/weather/us/wv/circleville/KWVCIRCL4

It shows realtime data from the weather station that NOVAC donated and installed on the SKMC grounds and the Wunderground forecast is reasonably accurate much if not most of the time. It nailed the predictions for both Sat & Sunday nights (recent conditions). Obviously, the further out you go, the less accurate it is since it’s hard to get data on a butterfly flapping in China that far out. 😉

I can, however, predict with confidence that our weather this week will be exactly like the weather at AHSP next month….Unpredictable.

We expect to have additional realtime detailed weather sources online during AHSP on the TV screen in the Yurt.

One perennial problem is that local weather on the mountain differs from overall area weather — the microclimate. Sometimes adverse weather is below us, and sometimes it forms over us. Things can change suddenly, both for better or for worse.

SKMC is shielded from some mountain winds by ridges west and east — Back Ridge and the extended south ridge of Spruce Mountain. That terrain can also cause fogs to linger in the shallow valley.

Another mountain effect is rapid cooling in the evening due to the altitude and being above much of the water vapor in the lower atmosphere.

The Windy forecast embedded below can provide even more detail by clicking the Windy logo at the top center of the forecast and go the website itself. This weather app has the option of 4 different weather models as well to pick your poison so to speak.

Bob Traube, NOVAC’s past coordinator for SKMC’s observing throughout the year, recently made the following suggestions for getting current weather and forecast information for Spruce Knob:

I like to use this site for SKMC weather. https://www.wunderground.com/weather/us/wv/circleville/KWVCIRCL4

It shows realtime data from the weather station that NOVAC installed on the SKMC grounds and the Wunderground forecast is reasonably accurate much if not most of the time. It nailed the predictions for both Sat & Sunday nights (recent conditions). Obviously, the further out you go, the less accurate it is since it’s hard to get data on butterfly flapping in China that far out. 😉

I can, however, predict with confidence that our weather this week will be exactly like the weather at AHSP next month….Unpredictable.

Bob Traube, NOVAC