Seattle Rainwatch Will Get Real-Time With Weather Forecast

Forget counting on radar alone to predict Seattle’s rainfall levels this coming year. Some of the brainiacs over at the University of Washington’s Department. of Atmospheric Sciences have come up with a brand new instrument that may provide us with much more precise area-specific forecast numbers.

The new tool, called Seattle RainWatch, is a model that relies upon actual on-the-ground measurements to verify and better predict how much rain will fall within the up coming hour or so. An accompanying system, SnowWatch, will perform the very same sort of thing for snowfall and help highway officials maintain your streets clear.

In our town of perpetually rainy weather, the more precise information we can get about how wet it’s going to be is infinitely valuable.

According to Mayor Mike McGinn’s Office: “Seattle RainWatch can help energy crews to identify exactly where they may be required most and to respond more promptly by highlighting possible troublesome areas just before they develop. It will provide real-time weather measurements at the neighborhood level and it is so precise that city crews are able to see where storm drains ought to be cleaned, allowing for more effective response and perhaps avoiding dangers to individuals and property.”

In case you have a pesky drain that clogs up during every downpour or you are a wannabe weather man for the evening news, you’ll probably want to get associated with providing information for your area. To do this, make contact with the Atmospheric Sciences department, and they’ll tell you how you can help.

Should this program be a success, it will be definitely worth the price as areas most waterlogged will see speedier and, in some instances, real time improvements with their drainage systems. Seattle may soon become the envy of our bordering, storm-prone neighbors. We’re all intrigued to discover whether this new system can provide prompter emergency response times to any major storms coming Seattle’s way this winter season.

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