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Photo by Daniel Lai
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Manchester resident Jack Summers monitors the weather from his computer at Riverside Consign. The computer records data from instruments mounted on the store's roof.
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Though he may be known throughout the village as "eBay Jack," Manchester resident Jack Summers has something more to be proud of this year.
Feb. 14 marked the one year anniversary of Summers' membership with the Weather Underground network in Michigan and his work of chronicling weather data in Manchester.
"I've always been fascinated with weather patterns since taking an Aircraft Maintenance class in college in which meteorology was a part of," he said.
Summers said he installed equipment on the roof of his business, Riverside Consign, last year but has been a part of the Weather Underground network since 1987.
"I had a weather station in California that I really enjoyed monitoring," he said.
After moving to Manchester three years ago to be closer to his parents, Summers said he thought it would be interesting to start a new weather station in the village.
Summers said his equipment monitors wind speed direction, barometric pressure, temperature and rainfall levels.
"In California, I was so good at it, I could tell you when it was going to rain just by watching the weather front maps," he said. "I'm in the process now of studying the maps to see if I can pick up on any trends in this area."
Aside from sharing its name and beginnings on a college campus, the modern Weather Underground has a much more benign purpose than its 1960s counterpart consisting of violent student radicals.
These days, it's the world's largest network of private, personal weather stations connected to a central hub to provide current conditions and forecasting capabilities.
"There are thousands of personal weather stations. It's more accurate than The Weather Channel," he said.
Other stations in the area include one near the DaimlerChrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, downtown Tecumseh, Clinton, Dundee, Ann Arbor and Saline.
"It's a pooling of data and that's how we're able to come up with our five-day forecast," he said.
Summers said there are personal weather stations in every state and the U.S. Virgin Islands, plus more than 200 counties and territories worldwide.
"There is relatively little expense in setting up a station, " he said. "I got the hardware kit for $225 off e-Bay. The software runs about $100; you can also get a personal version that doesn't upload to the Web for $35."
The software is called Virtual Weather Station, and it tracks a variety of data: temperature, barometric pressure, precipitation, humidity, wind speed and direction, wind chill and heat index.
The hardware consists of sensors, gauges, solar power cells and a display unit.
"All you need is an open space for the sensors to properly collect the data," he said.
Summers said his computer, which records data electronically from the instruments, is left on 24 hours a day.
"I update my Web site every 20 seconds with new information," he said. "There has only been one time when the computer lost power and I lost about six hours of data."
Summers said meteorologists and other weather enthusiasts can access the Web site and research weather patterns in the area from the past year.
"It keeps all the data recorded since the station opened," he said.
Summers said the data came in handy when the Chicken Broil Committee's storage trailer burned down last fall due to a faulty power line.
"The insurance company was trying to say it was an act of God because the wind gusts caused the flames from another trailer to catch ours on fire," he explained. "After reviewing the data from the time the fire department was called to the scene, we could prove there was no major wind speeds at that time."
In addition to his work with Weather Underground, Summers has owned and operated Riverside Consign in downtown Manchester.
"The weather stuff is more like a hobby," he said.
The business, which will celebrate its two-year anniversary in June, has had several customers.
"People seem to enjoy it; I think it's the joy of the hunt," he said. "Consignment shops are real popular in other areas and I felt there was a need for one in Manchester."
After offering customers the ability to sell their unwanted items on eBay, Summers quickly acquired his nickname.
"I've seen a lot of interesting things come in here that people want me to sell for them," he said. "From classic cars to engagement rings, a 1952 Gibson guitar and cereal collector pins, you would be surprised on how well things sell on eBay.
"Some things take me by surprise, so you kind of have to be an expert on everything."
To see Summers' latest weather forecasts, visit the Web site www.riversideconsign.com, then scroll down to the "weather" link for local conditions plus a link to the full Weather Underground Web site.
Editor Daniel Lai can be reached at 428-8173 or dlai@heritage.com.
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