EarthCam, the leader in live camera technology, content and services, today at Autodesk University introduced its Live Weather Service, which uses an onsite, wireless, solar-powered sensor array to detect and calculate 16 points of weather and environmental data. This data is combined with NOAA observed conditions and radar maps to create precise, localized microclimate information – far more accurate than regional forecasts alone can provide.

Live jobsite camera imagery is overlaid with accurate, straightforward weather data to create a complete environmental record for the lifetime of each project. Project managers now have a searchable archive of activity at each location, with the added context of easy-to-read graphical weather visuals.

“It’s always nice that on your dashboard, you have the weather interface and the wind speed,” said Paul Smedburg, Project Executive at C.D. Smith Construction. “For a general contractor that could end up in a dispute on a force majeure claim on weather events - it’s very common in the industry to have some initial blowback - ‘well it really didn’t snow that much!’ EarthCam has been a godsend for me.” High resolution time-stamped imagery with detailed weather data creates an indisputable permanent record of conditions, and all data is automatically uploaded to project management software, such as Autodesk Build or Procore daily logs.  

The construction industry increasingly experiences weather events that lead to delays or disputes, and needs to be proactive when potentially unsafe conditions require work cessation or emergency response. Relying entirely on local regional forecasting is risky for projects that are in remote locations, as the closest forecast data relates to a location that is many miles away from the jobsite. Fully-wireless and solar-powered, EarthCam’s new system provides local monitoring and analysis in seconds instead of hours, to both predict and document weather events more accurately for project managers and site safety personnel.  

According to OSHA, cloud-to-ground lightning occurs 20 to 25 million times in the U.S. every year. The moment to safely take cover from lightning strikes is hard to gauge by relying on NOAA weather reports alone, which can’t estimate the distance or frequency of lightning. EarthCam’s Live Weather System automatically alerts teams to the approximate distance of lightning as far as 25 miles from the jobsite – more than twice the distance that thunder can be heard. These alerts are a key part of worker safety, giving crews more time to prepare for an oncoming storm and take necessary precautions.  

EarthCam’s system calculates whether a storm is approaching or receding based on lightning strike distance data, and counts the number of strikes to help assess risks in detail.

Live Weather’s configurable alerts combine real-time jobsite microclimate data with detailed forecast information, including up to 128 different advisories, watches and warnings powered by NOAA.

EarthCam’s Control Center has long been the software of choice among industry leaders for smart project documentation, promotion, safety and security. EarthCam provides camera rentals, professional installation and reality capture services to make construction project management more efficient, empowered by visual data. EarthCam’s new live weather service – including the onsite sensor array – is available now at an MSRP of $1500. To learn more, visit earthcam.net/liveweather.