AcuRite’s 5-in-1 and 3-in-1 Weather Stations Help Storm Chaser Matt Malicki Keep the Public Informed and Safe
When not performing his day job of educating AcuRite customers about their weather stations, Matt Malicki serves as an official storm chaser for CBS58 News and Weather in Milwaukee.
By being the “eyes on the ground” for organizations like the National Weather Service and SKYWARN, storm chasers and storm spotters serve a vital function in keeping the community safe during severe weather events. Matt’s extensive training allows him to track tornadoes and other storms, and report their exact locations and direction of travel to severe weather organizations that inform local authorities, which in turn keeps the public safe.
Problem
To perform his job in the field, Malicki needs reliable weather tools that offer real-time readings of dew point, wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and sometimes rainfall data. While there are a variety of weather tools available on the market, very few offer the combination of portability, durability, accuracy, and ease of use that would enable them to be effectively used by tornado chasers.
Solution
Malicki installed an AcuRite 5-in-1 weather sensor and an AcuRite 3-in-1 weather sensor to the top of his storm chase vehicle. Mated to AcuRite digital displays mounted to his dashboard (including one with AcuRite’s PC Connect feature), he’s able to gather reliable readings in real-time, plus save and export his severe weather data for future analyzation. Mounting two sensors to the top of his truck gives him a backup system in case one sensor is struck by flying debris, which can happen on occasion during a chase.
Results
Malicki’s AcuRite weather stations have stood up to rain, hail, snow, ice, and 80+ mph wind with debris. They also endure Malicki’s 75-mile round trip commute to AcuRite’s HQ in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. More importantly, they have provided reliable data in harsh environments.
"I know I can depend on my AcuRite weather stations," Malicki said. "The sensors have been incredibly durable, and the displays give me everything I need, at a glance. Plus I can export the data to my laptop using PC Connect. All of this helps me keep my community safe by reporting accurate information to SKYWARN, NWS, and of course the viewers of CBS58."
Want to Become a Storm Chaser or Spotter?
Storm/tornado chasers and storm spotters are trained to provide important information to the National Weather Service (NWS). Part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the NWS is crucial to keeping local authorities informed during severe weather. This helps better equip local police departments, fire departments, and emergency crews to protect the general public.
During a storm, spotters and chasers use a variety of methods to report back to the NWS. This includes calling in by phone or tweeting updates to the NWS Twitter feed. Tweets often include enhanced information such as GPS coordinates and photos of the storm. On top of that, storm spotters and chasers can post updates to organizations like SKYWARN, RadarScope’s “Spotter Network”, plus a wide variety of social media pages and websites organized by regional and local storm chaser/storm spotter organizations.
To learn more, we suggest looking into the SKYWARN volunteer program. This organization has more than 290,000 trained members and was established by NOAA. Another way to receive spotter training is by completing an online course with MetEd.
I know I can depend on my AcuRite weather stations. The sensors have been incredibly durable...
Matt Malicki
Storm Spotter
