DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — Some Iowans will not see their local temperature and dew point weather reports because several weather tracking sensors across Iowa are disabled. In western Iowa, that includes the Denison and Carroll Airports.  The Federal Aviation Administration released new guidelines on July 2 that require malfunctioning Automated Weather Observing Systems, or AWOS, located at airports to be disabled.

There are 61 AWOSs at airports in Iowa. Seventeen are managed by the FAA, while 44 are operated by the Iowa Department of Transportation. These sites’ primary function is to track meteorological data such as wind speed, air pressure, temperature, and dew points to guide pilots; however, weather data is shared with the public and often used for local weather reports.

Currently, 12 weather tracking sites are not reporting temperature or dew point for the area. A full map of the weather tracking sites can be found here. Iowa DOT Aviation Director Tim McClung told KCCI, that prior to July 2, the DOT was only required to report if a site was producing inaccurate data. Now, if they must disable the sensor entirely along with issuing a report to pilots.

There is no danger to aircraft from the disabled sensors.  McClung said for aviation, they can map out general weather conditions, despite some sensors being down, that are sufficient for guiding aircraft. However, he said it is inconvenient for people who are looking at the sensors for weather reports. McClung said the technicians at the DOT are working hard to get the site back up as soon as possible but expects it will be a rolling cycle of sensors coming on and off over the next several months.

They are currently directing their focus on the offline sensors in Boone, Webster City, and Carroll because those locations are close together and all malfunctioning. The disabled sensors are expected to continue for several months as the DOT adapts to the policy change. McClung said the sensors they need to replace are currently backlogged, which has led to more delays.

He said the cooler weather in the fall and winter, combined with more time to get new sensors, should bring most of the sites back online. Below is a list of the sensors not currently reporting temperature or dew point:

• Denison
• Carroll
• Perry
• Webster City
• Fort Dodge
• Clarion
• Boone
• Fort Madison
• Keokuk
• Muscatine
• Vinton
• Grinnell