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The semi-retired 26-year toolmaker recalls standing in front of a window or door during storms when he grew up in Meriden.
A little more than four years ago Grey bought a wireless weather station while he was in Maine.
"That’s how I got interested," he said, adding at that time he was just using the Rainwise MKIII weather station to monitor the conditions for himself. "I got onto the Internet and saw I was able to start broadcasting over the Internet. I learned more, and I wanted to do it.
"I started researching what I could put on a Web site," Grey said. "It took close to a year to figure it out."
Grey got Ambient software to start a weather Web site and got support from a lot of people. The weather station was situated on his roof, and a Web camera was set up in his backyard.
Grey used a tutorial online, and he went to a user to find out what he still needed to know. Another weather enthusiast Dale Sokoloski, who also has a weather Web site, helped Grey set up his Web cam and software. Another enthusiast, Don Pyers, hosts Grey’s Web site on his service.
The backyard camera is light sensitive so it will capture thunderstorms during the warmer weather, he said. "You’ll start seeing lightning bolt images," Grey added.
Grey’s Web site, www.theweathercell.com, went online on Oct. 11.
The site includes, among other information, temperature, wind chill, wind speed, humidity, dew point, heat index, precipitation amounts and local forecasts. It does real-time weather updates every five minutes and the backyard video cam shows the conditions in Durham.
Active weather warnings for the New Haven and Hartford areas are also on the Web site. A five-day forecast is shown for Durham, as well as storm advisories. Maps depicting various radars including lightning detection and Doppler radar are on the site. It also has links to other sites.
"I’m really proud, he did it all himself," said Grey’s wife Kathie, who is a Web site designer. "I think he did a great job. He’s really excited about it."
Grey learned all the software -- "it was trial and error," she said.
"It’s just a hobby," Grey said. He is a member of Weather Matrix, which is a worldwide organization of amateur and professional weather enthusiasts. "It was interesting."
"It’s just starting to get recognized," Grey said of the site. "I get a lot of curious people from around the world."
He added some local people have also replied to his Web site.
"It’s an ongoing project," Grey said. "It’ll never stop."
To contact Amy L. Zitka, call (860) 347-3331 ext. 211 or email azitka@middletownpress.com.
