The Olympic National Park plans to relocate the weather station at Hurricane Ridge about 100 yards to provide a more accurate reading of snow depth.
The park released a 60-page environmental assessment of the proposed move on Thursday and opened a public comment period on it. Comments are due by Feb. 9.
The existing Hurricane Ridge Weather Station, which is operated by the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center in cooperation with the park, is located immediately west of the generator building near the Cirque Rim Trail.
It has several sensors on a 25-foot tower attached to the generator building that measure precipitation, air temperature and relative humidity.
Next to that tower is an 80-foot radio tower with sensors to measure wind speed and direction and snow depth.
The park wants to move the precipitation, snow depth, temperature and relative humidity measurement devices to the area of the Hurricane Ridge snow stake, which is about 100 yards east of the existing towers and about 50 yards east of the Cirque Rim Trail.
The weather station provides accurate data on wind speed and direction, but wind exposure at the site causes snow to drift there in winter, making the precipitation and snow depth data unreliable, said Barb Maynes, park spokeswoman, in a written statement.
Wind speed and direction still would be measured at the present weather station.
The weather station provides hourly readings on wind speed and direction, temperature, snow depth and precipitation, which are posted online at www.nwac.us/~nwac/products/OSOHUR.
Avalanche forecasts
The readings are used to develop mountain weather forecasts, including avalanche forecasts.
“Accurate and reliable weather information is key to avalanche forecasting, which in turn is vital to visitor and staff safety,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Karen Gustin.
The conclusion of the environmental assessment is that the move would benefit both visitors and employees through increasing the accuracy of forecasts and providing better data for predicting timing and extent of avalanches.
Comments can be submitted online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov, mailed to Superintendent — Hurricane Ridge NWAC Weather Station EA, Olympic National Park, 600 E. Park Ave., Port Angeles, WA 98362; or faxed to 360-565-3015.
The environmental assessment can be read online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov.
For more information, phone the park at 360-565-3004.
