Why are RAWS often placed in remote areas?

RAWS, or Remote Automated Weather Stations, are strategically placed in remote areas primarily to gather data in locations that are not easily accessible or lack existing weather stations. This is important because many remote or rugged terrains may not have sufficient weather monitoring capabilities, yet they can have critical weather patterns that significantly impact local ecosystems, agriculture, fire management, and other environmental studies.

By positioning RAWS in these areas, researchers and meteorologists can obtain valuable data that would otherwise be unavailable, helping to improve weather forecasting and understanding of regional climatic trends. This data collection is essential for effective natural resource management, emergency planning, and climate research, especially in areas at risk for wildfires or extreme weather events.

While operational costs and the promotion of tourism might be factors in some considerations about weather stations, the primary focus and advantage of RAWS is their ability to provide crucial data from remote locations that are underserved by existing meteorological networks.