Question about Thermometers - Something That's Puzzling Me . . .

Ghost_Tracker · #1 01-08-2010, 11:03 PM

There's something I've been wondering about; I was just hoping somebody in here might have some ideas about it. We have an electronic thermometer in the living room that gives the time and temperature. (It communicates with a sensor outside, of course.)
Now, during the summer in the afternoon, this thing is usually off. Fine, I can understand that easy - the heat from the sun runs up the wood of the house and makes the thing read a bit high. But now it's the middle of winter, and I just noticed - at 10 p.m. or so, well after the sun had set, that it said that it's "28 degrees" outside. Well, there's an airport right near my house - only a half-mile away - and that's where the weather service measures the temperature, for this area - - and they're reporting 24 degrees. Here's the thing - I mentioned it to my Dad and he said that the car thermometer was also reporting 28 degrees. We've noticed similar discrepancies before. There's no significant changes in altitude between my house and the airport. So why would the airport temperature consistently be about 4 or 5 degrees lower than here at the house, only a half-mile away??? . . . .

JWS · #2 01-08-2010, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghost_Tracker

There's something I've been wondering about; I was just hoping somebody in here might have some ideas about it. We have an electronic thermometer in the living room that gives the time and temperature. (It communicates with a sensor outside, of course.)
Now, during the summer in the afternoon, this thing is usually off. Fine, I can understand that easy - the heat from the sun runs up the wood of the house and makes the thing read a bit high. But now it's the middle of winter, and I just noticed - at 10 p.m. or so, well after the sun had set, that it said that it's "28 degrees" outside. Well, there's an airport right near my house - only a half-mile away - and that's where the weather service measures the temperature, for this area - - and they're reporting 24 degrees. Here's the thing - I mentioned it to my Dad and he said that the car thermometer was also reporting 28 degrees. We've noticed similar discrepancies before. There's no significant changes in altitude between my house and the airport. So why would the airport temperature consistently be about 4 or 5 degrees lower than here at the house, only a half-mile away??? . . . .

Winds. The airport is in open space, your house is not. Why is it 70 in Westwood and 75 in downtown LA on a given day? There are micro climates. Just over the hill in the SFV it can be 20 degrees warmer than in West LA or 30 degrees more than at the beaches.

Ghost_Tracker · #3 01-08-2010, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWS

Winds. The airport is in open space, your house is not. Why is it 70 in Westwood and 75 in downtown LA on a given day? There are micro climates. Just over the hill in the SFV it can be 20 degrees warmer than in West LA or 30 degrees more than at the beaches.

k, well thanks!

HomerMcvie · #4 01-09-2010, 12:25 AM

Ever notice that it's always a couple degrees warmer in town, than it is in the country? Year round. I live in the country, and it's almost always true. I blame it on the abundance of asphalt, and the proximity of the houses.

paleshadow · #5 01-09-2010, 02:41 AM

I suppose it could also be the location of the thermometer as far as height. If it's in a high location at the airport it would read colder.

David · #6 01-09-2010, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

Ever notice that it's always a couple degrees warmer in town, than it is in the country? Year round. I live in the country, and it's almost always true. I blame it on the abundance of asphalt, and the proximity of the houses.

The asphalt & the concrete all retain heat. A big city can have a heat bubble over it that convects at night.

Tornadoes form & blow everybody about!

Tsunamis are nothing to kid about. You cannot surf a tsunami. It has no back.