Weather Channel Gets Assist From Hayward Company

Devices manufacutred in the East Bay help professional storm chasers track weather.

The intrepid Weather Channel storm chasers who drove after the devastating Oklahoma tornado last week did so with a little help from a Bay Area company.

Hayward-manufacturer Davis Instruments produces "portable weather stations" -- which sit on top of the vehicles driven by the Weather Channel crew near Oklahoma City, according to The Daily Review newspaper.

The network's "2013 Tornado Hunt" might not have been able to be produced without what the crews call "our 'Davis,'" according to the report.

The stations are small, portable devices with wireless capability. In addition, the stations are used on the Bay Bridge to deploy "baffles" that deflect wind, and monitor the weather at the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

A portable station also is in Antarctica for global warming research.

The devices measure wind, temperature, humidity and dew point, and are affordable enough -- between $395 and $595 per device -- to be enjoyed by the home consumer.

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