Monongahela National Forest: Climate & Weather Information

The Monongahela National Forest is characterized by warm summers and cold winters. The temperature averages 19.7°C (67.5°F) in the summer and 1°C (33.8°F) in the winter. The growing season is only about six months long due to cold winter temperatures. Although some snow falls on the Forest most of the precipitation falls as rain. The Forest does not have distinct wet and dry season, however, a rain shadow dramatically influences the amount of precipitation received on the west and east sides of the Forest. As storms move across the Forest, they are forced up and over the Allegheny Mountains causing them to drop most of their moisture. As a result, the western portion of the Forest may receive upwards of 150 centimeters (60 inches) of precipitation whereas the eastern portion of the Forest only receive 75 centimeters (30 inches). The elevation of the Forest ranges from 275 meters (902 feet) at Petersburg, WV to 1482 meters (4863 feet) at Spruce Knob, WV. The wide variation in precipitation and elevation contributes to the remarkable biodiversity of the Monongahela National Forest. Below are links to current climate and weather information:

• Monongahela National Forest Daily Weather Forecast

• Monongahela National Forest Monthly Average/Record Temperatures & Average Precipitation

• Monongahela National Forest 2015 Climatological Summary

NatureServe Hotspots Map

Google My Maps vs ArcGIS Explorer Desktop

Google My Maps 

Google My Maps is a free online tool that allows users to create custom Google Maps. Users can quickly and easily produce detailed maps by adding directions and color-coded location markers, labeling points of interest, and drawing lines to indicated boarders or routes. Users can also import data in a variety of formats. The information can be sorted into layers for ease of review. The finished maps can be shared via email or social media or saved to the Google Drive cloud storage and viewed on mobile devices.

ArcGIS Explorer Desktop 

ArcGIS Explorer Desktop is a free desktop viewer that allows users to explore and share GIS information. An updated version of ArcGIS Explorer Desktop was recently released and includes several new features including tools for creating and editing presentations, new text options including map text and overlay text, attribute display, improved pop-ups with the ability to be sized and positioned, advanced search options, and custom basemap gallery support. The new version also has increased portability meaning that it is not necessary to locally install the Explorer Desktop; instead this application can be run from a thumb drive.

Google My Maps vs ArcGIS Explorer Desktop 

On the surface, it appears as if Google My Maps and ArcGIS Explorer Desktop have very similar compatibles. However, from my personal experience, Google My Maps is a better tool for creating custom maps especially for new users. Google My Maps is very user-friendly and can be easily accessed online via any computer or mobile device. ArcGIS Explorer Desktop must be downloaded and is not compatible with Mac OS X. Google My Maps automatically saves new maps and edits to Google Drive and updates maps embedded on websites. ArcGIS Explorer Desktop does support a wider range of file formats including geospatial database files and shapefiles.

Monongahela National Forest: Topo Map - Google My Maps

This map of the Monongahela National Forest was created using Google My Maps.

Monongahela National Forest: General Map - Google My Maps

This map of the Monongahela National Forest was created using Google My Maps.

Introduction to Ecology