FEA T U R E
BETTER PLANNING AND EXECUTION THROUGH
WEATHER APP ADOPTION By Brad Jakubowski – Instructor in Agronomy, Center for Turfgrass Science
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eeping an eye on the weather is something professional turfgrass managers have ingrained into our systems. Can I mow today? We check our phones for the most recent forecast. Should I spray today? We monitor dewpoints, humidity and temperatures. Will I pull the tarp prior to today’s game? We study the weather radar. There is a tremendous amount of weather information out there and nearly all of us have some form of a weather app on our phones or a link to our favorite weather website to help us make day-to-day management decisions. Let’s take a journey, to see what is out there and what information will help us make the best weatherbased decisions possible.
W H I C H AP P I S T H E B E S T ? Honestly, there is no one best app so it is important to find an app or a number of apps that provide you the most reliable and quickly available information.
Basic Information that is important to have available with the least number of clicks would be: • • • •
High and Low Temperatures (including overnight lows) Dewpoint Relative Humidity Short-Term Weather Forecasts
Intermediate Information includes: • Radar (Base and Composite Reflectivity) • Satellite Imagery • Severe Weather (especially lightning).
Advanced Information would be:
FIGURE
1
• • • •
Echo Tops Vertically Integrated Liquid Digital Storm Accumulation Forecast Discussion
B AS I C I N F O R M AT I O N When looking for basic information, it is best to have most or all important data on the first screen or within one or two clicks from the first screen. That is often a good way to judge how well your app will benefit you over time. As an example, The National Weather Service includes much of the basic data (Figure 1). At a glance, you can get a good idea of what is happening now and what will happen in the immediate future. High and low temperatures provide a quick mental image of how the day (and night) may influence your maintenance plans, while winds, dewpoint and relative humidity provide a quick insight on irrigation requirements, disease potential, and infield skin management requirements.
22 North Carolina Turf gr a ss
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July / August 2021
