By Ann McCreary
At the request of pilots using the Methow Valley State Airport, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will reactivate a weather reporting station this winter.
WSDOT, which operates the airport, began working last year to reactivate a decommissioned, privately owned weather reporting system for use at the airport, which is located five miles south of Winthrop.
The currently deactivated weather reporting system — also known as an Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) — is located adjacent to the airport on private property. Once activated, the AWOS will broadcast weather information via radio to pilots flying in the area and provide flight planning information via telephone.
WSDOT will lease and operate the system from its existing location at no cost other than operational expenses for electricity, telecommunications, and maintenance. The owner decommissioned the AWOS several years ago, after no longer needing it for their own use.
WSDOT is finalizing the lease agreement and obtaining authorization for the state’s contractor to inspect the AWOS on the private property. WSDOT will also coordinate with the Federal Aviation Administration before officially commissioning the system.
The next-closest AWOS is less than 30 miles to the east at the Omak Municipal Airport. Omak can experience significantly different weather than the Methow Valley due to the altitude and mountainous terrain that separates them.
Methow Valley State Airport is one of 16 airports that WSDOT operates. The airport is used for business travel, recreation and to support emergency operations such as the wildfires last summer. An estimated 5,500 takeoffs and landings are expected at the airport in 2015, according to WSDOT.
