ASHLAND — Ashland County Airport’s new terminal, expected to be complete this fall, will also have its own weather station.
Ashland County commissioners on Thursday unanimously approved a quote from SDS Weather for $7,549 to install a weather reporting system at the airport.
Anne Strouth, the county’s EMA director, said the “critical piece of infrastructure” will allow law enforcement, pilots and the general public to have real-time weather data about Ashland County.
Currently, that data comes from a weather station installed at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport, Strouth said.
“So while this has served us in a limited capacity, it does not reflect that real-time conditions here in Ashland County,” Strouth said. “Accurate, real-time weather information saves lives.”
She said first responders need to have updated information about weather patterns when responding to hazardous materials spills and other emergencies.
Strouth also said the weather station will enhance safety for pilots.
“When we think about pilots flying into and out of Ashland airport, they’re going to have instant access to that local current conditions, which improves their flight safety and operational decision-making,” she said.
She also mentioned the benefit of having real-time weather data for farmers, construction contractors, school districts and logistical companies.
Strouth said the weather data produced by the Ashland station will be fed to the National Weather Service. That means decision-makers will have more reliable and faster data, she said.
Ongoing costs
The EMA office currently spends $280 annually for weatherTAP, a program that tracks weather data from Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport.
The software behind the new equipment will cost $140 annually, she said.
Denny Baum, the airport’s manager, said the commissioner’s approval of the equipment is good timing. The new terminal is currently under construction. He expects the project to wrap by October. (Other county officials have estimated it will finish by November.)
The terminal will be roughly 4,000 square-feet and feature a flight school, a pilot lounge, a community room, a bathroom with a shower and a separate public restroom.
“I think it’s a great idea,” he said, adding that pilots, when flying in the area, often rely on instruments gathering weather data from Wooster and Mansfield — but nothing from Ashland.
Though Strouth suggested that Loudonville should have its own weather station in the future, the station at the Ashland County Airport will produce weather data for the entire county.
“In the future, to be more specific and direct to that population, a weather station (in Loudonville) would be important,” Strouth said.
Officials said they don’t expect the new weather station to lead to the hiring of any staff at the airport.
When asked if having a weather station would have changed the outcome of a recent fatal plane crash in Jackson Township, Baum and Strouth said they doubt it would have made a difference.
“I mean, the guy flew into a thunderstorm,” Baum said. “I have no idea why … he’s the only one that could have answered that question … Would this have helped him? Not really. I assume he checked the weather, but I just don’t know.”