COLFAX – In July, the Port of Whitman County accepted a $46,962 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program. Funding will go towards analzying siting options for an Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) at the Port of Whitman Business Air Center, which currently lacks a weather reporting station. The current closest weather station is at the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport approximately 16 miles southeast. 

The Port of Whitman Business Air Center is a general aviation airport and industrial park located three and a half miles southwest of Colfax. The site features t-hangars, private hangars, and Port-owned pole buildings, and hosts a variety of tenants and occupants spanning aviation to green hydrogen to agriculture. In 2022, economic contributions from entrepreneurial firms at the the Port of Whitman Business Air Center totaled $7.78 million in sales and employed 47 people.  

“Airport weather stations provide valuable information to pilots as they land and depart. We are grateful to the Federal Aviation Administration’s support as we evaluate the feasibility of having an AWOS at the Port of Whitman Business Air Center,” Commission President Tom Kammerzell said.

Funding will allow the Port to identify and vet sites for an AWOS location at the Port of Whitman Business Air Center and determine if it is realistic to install a weather reporting station in the vicinity of the airport, or what limitations may arise. If a suitable location is found, the Federal Aviation Administration has identified funding for the design and construction in 2026 and 2027. 

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About the Port of Whitman County

The Port of Whitman County is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all citizens of Whitman County through industrial real estate development, preservation of multi-modal transportation, facilitation of economic development and provision of on-water recreational opportunities.