Masonry Magazine June 2006 Page. 38
Weather
June 6 was based on weather forecasts, which indicated the correct combination of tides and winds. And that was before weather satellites! It was done with what was known as the Norwegian Model of statistical probability: what the odds are for an event based on previous events in the area. A large amount of data from many years was collected, analyzed and re-analyzed.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in a history of World War II recalled, "At first the meteorologists studied the climatology at the most likely time of the invasion, to give them an idea of the most usual weather for that time of year. This showed that either May or June was probably better than July, but by that time it was already too late for arrangements to be made for May.
A Day Later
"THE TIDE, state of the moon and time of sunrise combined favorably on Monday, June 5, and the following two days. The tide, but not the moonlight, was right again two weeks later. So all eyes focused on June, with the right moon phases for the tides on June 5."
As we know, conditions changed and the assault was actually postponed until the sixth of June. In 1944, a forecaster trying to see even 48 hours ahead was at or beyond the limits of what was possible.
Today, via satellite photos, we can literally see what is happening anywhere in the world and track paths of winds, storms and other weather minute by minute. We can dial into the National Weather Service online at www.weather.gov and get an update; we can tune to the local radio station and get a forecast; we can pick up satellite radio and get a constant stream of data. We can even put a weather station on the job site and collect our own data, as finely tuned to local conditions as possible.
See the "Weather Products" sidebar article for further information on a few of the retail items available to help track and anticipate your job site conditions.
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WEATHER PRODUCTS
Providing your own weather forecasting may sound strange, considering the wealth of services available, except a nasty little secret-weather forecasts are broadly based, not detailed to a location making it a viable option for critical weather-impacted jobs. Weather can vary significantly in areas only a few miles apart.
Here are a few of the products on the market that might help you and your crews anticipate weather changes more precisely.
Davis Weather Monitor II
Standard version, $295; complete version, $395
The Davis Weather Monitor complete version has everything needed for site-specific measuring of temperature, wind speed and direction, wind chill, daily and accumulated rainfall, barometric pressure, humidity and dew point so that supervisors can track micro meteorological events.
Knowing the weather at a construction location can give you a distinct safety advantage. Davis Instruments has a solar-powered, wireless unit that allows forepersons to see multiple weather conditions at a glance and track changing weather conditions visually using on-screen graphing capabilities. Optional data logging and software packages allow for longer-term weather monitoring, and can be invaluable when filing reports for OSHA and various other agencies.
Another feature is the ability to set alarms for selected functions. For example, if your foreperson is concerned about winds, an audible alarm can be set that will notify him or her whenever the wind speed reaches a given value. Also, an alarm can be set when the temperature or wind chill.
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36
Masonry
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June 2006