REAL TIME DATA AND EXPERIMENTAL AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATION AT THE MOUNT CIMONE OBSERVATORY, IN THE NORTHERN CHAIN OF APENNINES (ITALY).

Thanks to the cooperation between CAE and the Italian “Air Force National Meteorological Service” a new technological challenge was undertaken at the beginning of 2011: the full upgrading and maintenance of the historical Automatic Weather Station located at the “Mount Cimone Observatory”, managed by the Mountain Department of the Italian Air Forces (CAMM).

The peak of Mount Cimone is located at 2.165 meters ASL, being the highest mountain in northern Apennines. The spectacular landscape offered by this place, joint with the magnificent and fully open view offered from the top, was decisive to state its historical importance for our National Air Forces; during clear days, the peak of Mount Cimone opens to the observer the widest and deepest sight over about 40% of the national territory.

The peculiar meteorological conditions and complex logistic make the peak of Mount Cimone one of the most challenging sites for weather observation in the Italian peninsula. Several phenomena are in facts affecting the field operations:

Wind: wind gusts can exceed 200 km/h, making rainfall measurements less reliable and the structural vibrations stronger.

Low temperature: the minimum temperature ever tracked at the observatory stands at -22,2 °C, measured in January, 1981. During the average year there are 190 days with temperature dropping below zero and 210 foggy days. Temperature often gets below zero even during summer season.

Hard rime: low temperature and humid wind combined effects create thick and heavy icy layers on the surface of trees, buildings and others.