STATION #4 North Farm

Latitude:   039° 01' 52.993" N

Longitude: 076° 56' 28.439" W

Altitude:

History: This station has been in existence since the 1930's. Pre 1949 this station was called Beltsville Plant Industry Station #3. Strip charts are available for temperature, humidity and rainfall for the period from the 1950's to 1997. Pre 1950's the records are mostly typed forms and handwritten records (does not seem to be complete). The temperature charts were generated using BELFORT hygrothermographs inside a standard National Weather Service instrument shelter. The rainfall charts were generated using a BELFORT Universal Rain Gage.
In 1995 a computerized station was added at the same location.
This station has a ten foot tower using:

Datalogger logging data on 15 minute intervals.

Temperature and Humidity probe in a 12-gill plate radiation shield installed at a five foot elevation.

Wind speed and direction installed at a ten foot elevation.

Pyranometer installed at a ten foot elevation.

Tipping Rain Gage mounted three foot off the ground on a separate pole about ten feet from the main tower.