November 12, 2019 Bodie, California Weather Station Photos

The official NWS thermometer shelter at Bodie, California, is in the same spot as the last time I visited.  I will have to dig out those old slides from the 1980s for a comparison!   The exposure of the shelter is just so-so on this visit in November 2019, as it is somewhat close to a structure on the east side.  A smallish church is across the street to the west, and a dirt road intersection is just to the southwest.  The location of the shelter in the ghost town likely results in a little bump in maximums on most sunny days, compared to what I would expect if the shelter were in the same spot without any buildings within 100-150 feet.  The shelter is across the street from the Methodist Church, at the corner of Green and Fuller.  The rain gage is on the other side of the house that is just east of the shelter.  It is in an enclosed area (north of the intersection of Park and Green streets), where there is less chance of someone messing around with it or pouring water inside.

The state personnel (the rangers) have permitted the low and scrubby vegetation beneath and around the shelter to build up quite a bit.  On this day the ranger said that that helps to keep nosy people away from the shelter some.  I am not a big fan of allowing the vegetation to get so high around the shelter, but I don’t think that it affects the readings negatively.  It is probably better than a completely barren surface.  But, might not the snows of winter build up more quickly around the shelter if the thick brush is not cut back?

The side of the shelter with the door (to access the thermometers) is supposed to face due north, but it looks like it faces more to the NNE.  The time of observation here is around 8 a.m., and the ranger/observer sends the information out daily to the NWS via the Internet.

The first few photos below show long shots towards the ghost town.  The first one is looking to the north along Cottonwood Canyon Road, and the third one is looking to the ENE, from the cemetery.  The Methodist Church is on the left side.  The last two photos below show the rain gage in a little yard, a stone’s throw over two structures from the shelter.  The 4th image shows the north-facing side of the shelter, with the handle for the door.  So, the view is to the south (or SSW, nice the shelter does not face due north!).