Farmers can’t change the weather, but with help from the current generation of weather prediction and reporting services, they can at least know what’s coming.
Farmers can now tap into iWeather to plan around the forecast. Environment Canada is adding the service to its options of weather reporting services available to producers at a cost.
The system is based around the department’s prairie weather radar network. An internet link and computer are required to access the new product, now in the testing stages and based in Edmonton.
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Producers obtain an account from Environment Canada that allows them to download software from the iWeather internet site, www.ab.ec.gc.ca/iweather/. The software is available only in a Microsoft Windows 3.1 or greater format and requires a 386 or higher IBM compatible computer with at least eight MB of RAM.
For each new forecast or weather radar map, another download is required from the department’s internet site. This is done with a push of button and takes less than a minute to arrive on the user’s screen.
Expected moisture
Precipitation maps from the radar show users where rain and snow are falling and the amount expected. The six radar points are spread across the Prairies, covering 90 percent of the grain-growing zones and stretching from Lake of the Woods, Ont. to the Peace region of British Columbia.
By updating the images every 10 minutes, users can track storms. Official five-day forecasts are updated four times daily, providing site-specific forecasts for a large number of reporting stations.
Still under development is the feature called NowCast, which provides details of expected weather occurrences for a specific area in the upcoming few hours.
Weather warnings and advisories are also displayed as they occur.
The system was relatively easy to use during testing and provided weather details down to a two-kilometre area, which could allow farmers to plan for short-term spraying, seeding and harvesting.
Other products, services
The price has yet to be determined. Other weather products are available from various providers on the internet, as well as via satellite systems including DTN and Globalink.
The demand for the systems will likely depend upon cost. Final versions of the software, pricing and full services are expected to be available early in July. Environment Canada hopes to sell advertising on the service which may lower costs to consumers.
