Overview
The Kentucky Mesonet is a network of automated weather and climate monitoring stations being developed by the Kentucky Climate Center at Western Kentucky University to serve diverse needs in communities across the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
National Partnership
The Kentucky Climate Center, housed in the Department of Geography and Geology, is the State Climate Office for Kentucky recognized by the American Association of State Climatologists. As a member of the National Climate Services Partnership, the Kentucky Climate Center is a partner with the National Climatic Data Center, the Midwestern Regional Climate Center, and the National Weather Service.
Community Outreach
The Kentucky Mesonet provides outreach to local communities, enhancing quality of life for people throughout the commonwealth. Outreach starts by working with local officials and stakeholders to identify sites that meet scientific criteria and provide added community benefits. Mesonet data are easily accessible and can be used to improve local forecasts and severe weather warnings, aid emergency response efforts, enhance agricultural productivity, assist local utility providers, and support business and industry.
Education
Data from the Kentucky Mesonet will be available in every K-12 classroom throughout the commonwealth to support science and math education. Faculty and students in Kentucky's eight public universities are charter members of the Kentucky Mesonet Consortium.
Cyberinfrastructure
The Kentucky Mesonet is part of a larger effort at Western Kentucky University to build a cyberinfrastructure for environmental monitoring and decision support, thereby strengthening Kentucky's economic competitiveness through advanced science and technology.
Identification
The Kentucky Climate Center seeks to identify candidate Mesonet sites that meet scientific criteria for climate monitoring while providing reliable data for operational needs. Sites that provide unique benefits to local communities are further valued. Where possible, Mesonet sites should be located in an open area on flat or nearly flat ground far from buildings, trees, and other obstructions. Soil should be in its natural state, as excavation or tilling compromises the value of soil temperature and moisture content measurements. Furthermore, Mesonet sites should be located in areas where the terrain and land use are representative of key landscapes within the surrounding area. Finally, sites are preferred in areas that are not likely to experience major land use change, particularly due to urbanization.
The link below provides a check list of desirable characteristics for a Kentucky Mesonet site.
- Candidate site identification form (Microsoft Word document, Adobe PDF document)
- How to identify a high-quality candidate site (Microsoft Word document, Adobe PDF document)
- Three steps to site identification (Adobe PDF document)
Installation
A Kentucky Mesonet station has a small footprint on the landscape. The standard site requires a 42' by 38' fenced area. A Mesonet station can operate using either an AC or a solar power source. Site construction occurs in phases. First, an installation team preps the site and sets bases for the met tower, precipitation gage, and power supply in concrete. Next, a security fence is installed by our local partner according to specifications provided below. Finally, the installation team returns to add and connect instrumentation, and then to initiate communications between the station and the Mesonet network operations center. Each of the two site visits by the installation team takes approximately two days.
The links below provide information relevant to site design and construction.
Both
Site Photos
(Click to see a larger version)
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Contact |
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Postal Address |
Kentucky Climate Center |
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Telephone |
(270) 745-4567 |
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Fax |
(270) 745-4567 |
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| kymesonet@wku.edu |
Name |
Primary Responsibilities |
Foster, Dr. Stuart |
Director / Community Outreach |
Mahmood, Dr. Rezaul |
Associate Director / Research Coordination |
Schwind, Billy |
Mesonet Systems Meteorologist |
Quilligan, Andrew |
Systems Administration |
Schargorodski, Megan |
Operations Manager |
Collins, Patrick |
Mesonet Systems Meteorologist |
Name |
Primary Responsibilities |
Gary, Noah |
Application Development |
Knowles, Bryan |
Application Development |
Mitchell, Logan |
Mesonet Operator |
Schow, Tori |
Mesonet Operator |