BWCA.cc in the News!

BWCA.cc was featured as the lead story on KDLH-3 CBS News, July 2, 2000.

BWCA.cc was also featured on the front page of the Cook County Star,

July 18th, 2000

Gunflint Trail weather information station

By Rhonda Silence
The weather was perfect for the installation of a new weather station at Gunflint Lodge on July 2. The station is probably the nearest source of weather information to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).
Erik Anderson, coordinator of the weather station project, is a 1986 graduate of Cook County High School and has visited the BWCAW throughout his life, including several 21-day canoe trips. He designed a Boundary Waters informational web site in April to share his love of the area. The site is targeted at patrons of the Boundary Waters and the surrounding area. It includes lodging, camping, outfitting, wildlife, BWCAW news and activities - and now, up-to-date weather information. Weather information is available on the www.bwca.cc web site for the Gunflint Lodge station, as well as from Grand Marais and Ely sites.
Andrew Revering, from Convective Development worked with Anderson on the weather project. He explained that the weather station would provide data on the temperature, humidity, wind speed, dew point, precipitation, pressure, wind direction and wind chill. The station does not have Doppler radar, so will not predict long range weather. "It will provide general forecasts," he said, "because you're getting surface readings. But, if someone's thinking of coming up from Duluth, the Twin Cities - or Iowa, they want to know what the weather is like."
Anderson said the weather data will be updated every 30 minutes on the web page. "It will help people to know when heavy weather is coming in." A lightning detector will eventually be added. "It registers lightning within 50 miles with accuracy," said Revering.
Bruce Kerfoot, owner of Gunflint Lodge sees early storm warnings as one of the primary advantages to having the weather station at the lodge. Gunflint Lodge personnel will be able to directly monitor the readings. "It will be very interesting to have some reporting on the edge of the BWCA. If we see something we don't like, we can channel it to the county law enforcement."
Recreational users can also use the site, including local fishing guides. Kerfoot said, "Our guides can look at the wind speed information and decide which side of the reefs to fish on."
Kerfoot also said it would be nice to have a database on Gunflint Trail weather. Revering agreed, "You might have a new record low temperature for Minnesota." With a grin, Kerfoot responded that he'd rather not get that record.