Assets Directory

This directory stores weather figures and images used in blog posts.

Directory Structure

assets/
├── image_scraper.py     # Automated image download script
└── images/              # Current forecast figures
    ├── cw3e/            # CW3E West-WRF model images
    └── archive/         # Dated copies (optional)

Usage

Current Forecast Figures (images/)

Use standard filenames that you’ll overwrite each week:

• temp_forecast.png - Temperature forecast map/chart
• precip_forecast.png - Precipitation forecast
• freezing_level.png - Freezing level chart
• wind_forecast.png - Wind speed/direction map
• extended_outlook.png - Extended forecast chart
• current_radar.png - Current radar/satellite
• snow_depth_chart.png - Snow depth trends

Archive (images/archive/)

Optionally save dated copies for historical reference:

• 2025-01-15_temp_forecast.png
• 2025-01-15_precip_forecast.png

Note: Archive images are excluded from git tracking by default (see .gitignore)

Workflow

1. Download/screenshot weather figures from your favorite sources
2. Save with standard names to assets/images/
3. Reference in blog posts:

   <img src="../assets/images/temp_forecast.png" alt="Temperature Forecast">
   

4. Next week, simply overwrite with new figures!

Benefits

• Consistent naming makes updates easy
• Simple references in blog post HTML
• No accumulation of old files (unless archived)
• Fast workflow for weekly updates

Tips

• Keep images reasonably sized (< 500KB when possible)
• Use descriptive alt text for accessibility
• PNG works great for charts/maps
• JPEG works for photos/satellite imagery

See scripts/manage_figures.py for helper functions to organize figures.

Automated Image Scraping

The image_scraper.py script automates downloading forecast images from various sources.

CW3E West-WRF Snow Meteogram

Source: Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E)

Downloads the Paradis West-WRF 3hr snow ensemble meteogram panel for Mount Rainier National Park (MRNP).

Usage:

python assets/image_scraper.py --cw3e-westwrf-snow

Saved files:

• images/cw3e/West-WRF_3hrSnow_Meteogram_Panel_MRNP.png - Current version (overwritten on each run)
• images/cw3e/West-WRF_3hrSnow_Meteogram_Panel_MRNP_YYYYmmdd_HHMMSS.png - Timestamped archive

Features:

• Automatic retry on transient failures (3 attempts)
• Response validation (HTTP 200, image content type)
• Timestamped archival copies for historical tracking
• Detailed logging of download progress

Other options:

• --all - Download all available images
• --verbose or -v - Enable detailed logging

Example:

# Download only CW3E snow meteogram
python assets/image_scraper.py --cw3e-westwrf-snow

# Download all images with verbose output
python assets/image_scraper.py --all --verbose