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Saturday, at 3:00, the weather channel (on line) was reporting the current temperature was 105. But that evening, you reported that the high for the day was 102 or 103 (I can't remember which). What's the deal with that? And the temp on my front porch (not in the sun) actually read 106! I know why there could be a difference with my thermometer, but the weather channel?
Who is correct? Thanks, Suzanne D. WVC
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Great Q. The high on the 15th in Salt Lake (at the airport) was 104 degrees. This is the high temperature for Salt Lake which we should have reported on Saturday. In West Valley, the high temperature reported was 101 on Saturday according to the paper records we keep here, This would have been written down at around 8 pm at KSL when we look up that information for our towns in the evening.
Now, if the data was old, that 101 could be in error and if a different sensor was used, it could be different from what you're seeing on TWC. According to the Utah Mesonet, the high in WVC on Saturday the 15th was, 102. So the 101 reported Saturday, could have been in error, we do have errors in communicating with the temperature sensors frequently, and the sensors not updating on time.
When I type in a zip code for WVC in weather.com and I get a current temperature but it doesn't say from where. At weatherunderground.com I type in something like 84128 and I get a current temperature from a sensor in West Valley. So it comes down to, where does the weather channel get their current temperature for your zip code. Since I don't have access that information and don't work for the weather channel I can't tell you. It might be from the SL airport or it might be from another sensor near by and the ones we use on the air at KSL for our reports might be different than theirs.
Your thermometer at home, which shouldn't be in the sun, so you're doing great there could have said 106 and could have been correct as well. Temperature differences of 1 or 2 degrees are fairly common from one side of town to the other. Literally, don't sweat it!
It's confusing! For your own personal records, I'd keep using the same sensors that are located in the same spots for data continuity. Hopefully this helps sort it out why there are some differences in some of the data.
Answered by KSL Meteorologist Dina Freedman.
