California

Pierce College weather station gears up

William Russell, former head of the Pierce College weather station, explains how a new device measures solar radiation. L.A. County's hottest temperature, 119 degrees, was recorded at the station in 2006.

William Russell, former head of the Pierce College weather station, explains how a new device measures solar radiation. L.A. County’s hottest temperature, 119 degrees, was recorded at the station in 2006.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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The college used an $85,000 federal grant issued through the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration to pay for the old weather station’s makeover, which is expected to help climatologists more closely plot climate change in future years.
Read Bob Pool’s article: Pierce College weather station gets major upgrade

Topsy-turvy world

The horizon appears upside down in a Campbell-Stoke sunlight duration measuring device at the Pierce College weather station in Woodland Hills. The device has been at the weather station since 1974.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Evaporation pan

An evaporation pan is part of the Pierce College weather station in Woodland Hills. The pan was not part of the makeover.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Steve Woodruff

Steve Woodruff, a former Pierce College meteorology student and now the weather office manager at Van Nuys Airport, installed the weather station’s new equipment. He said it’s impossible to know what sort of data will be important in the future to the study of global warming.   (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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