OK Mesonet

OK Mesonet
Name	OK Mesonet
Established	1994
Operator	University of Oklahoma
Network type	Mesonet
Stations	120+
Area	Oklahoma

OK Mesonet

OK Mesonet is a statewide automated weather station network operated by the University of Oklahoma and integrated with partners such as the Oklahoma State University, National Weather Service, Federal Aviation Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The system provides high-resolution meteorological observations, supporting agencies including the National Severe Storms Laboratory, Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System, Environmental Protection Agency, and local municipal services like the City of Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Oklahoma emergency management divisions. Data from the network are used by researchers at institutions such as Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University, Colorado State University, and applied by organizations including the American Red Cross, FEMA, and energy companies like ExxonMobil.

Overview

The network consists of over 120 automated stations deployed across the state of Oklahoma designed to measure parameters including temperature, wind, precipitation, soil moisture, and solar radiation for stakeholders such as the National Weather Service, PBS, The Weather Channel, AccuWeather, and agricultural interests like the National Association of Conservation Districts. Its real-time feeds support forecasting centers such as the Storm Prediction Center, Hydrometeorological Prediction Center, Iowa Environmental Mesonet, Texas Tech University Weather Center, and municipal utilities across cities including Norman, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Enid, Oklahoma. The network architecture interfaces with standards from organizations like the American Meteorological Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

History and Development

Development began in the early 1990s through collaborations between the University of Oklahoma and state agencies including the Oklahoma Climatological Survey and Oklahoma State University, influenced by prior networks such as the AgriMet network and research at the National Severe Storms Laboratory. Early funding sources included grants from the National Science Foundation, awards from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and cooperative agreements with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Expansion phases paralleled technological advances documented in studies from the American Meteorological Society meetings and partnerships with manufacturers like Campbell Scientific and Vaisala.

Network Infrastructure and Instrumentation

Sites are equipped with instruments including heated tipping bucket gauges, unshielded thermistors, cup anemometers, and pyranometers sourced from vendors such as Campbell Scientific and Vaisala, conforming to standards advocated by the World Meteorological Organization and calibration labs used by National Institute of Standards and Technology. Communications utilize cellular networks from carriers including AT&T, Verizon Communications, and satellite relays compatible with systems used by NASA missions. Power systems include mains, solar power arrays similar to installations at Langley Research Center, and battery backups modeled after designs in NOAA field operations.

Data Collection and Products

The network provides minute-level and hourly observations, quality-controlled datasets, and derived products like evapotranspiration estimates and soil moisture indices used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, and research groups at Purdue University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Oregon State University. Products are disseminated via platforms interoperable with the Iowa Environmental Mesonet, Unidata, Global Telecommunication System, and data portals employed by the National Climatic Data Center. Outputs feed operational models such as the Rapid Refresh, High-Resolution Rapid Refresh, and hydrologic models used by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Research and Applications

Researchers use the network to study convective initiation, boundary layer processes, urban heat islands, and soil-vegetation-atmosphere interactions in collaborations with the National Severe Storms Laboratory, Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, NOAA Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations, and universities including University of Colorado Boulder, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Wisconsin–Madison. Applications include severe weather warning improvements at the Storm Prediction Center, drought monitoring with the U.S. Drought Monitor, agricultural decision support for the Farm Service Agency, renewable energy assessments for companies like General Electric, and climate studies informing state agencies like the Oklahoma Climatological Survey.

Operations and Funding

Operational management is led by staff at the University of Oklahoma in coordination with state partners such as the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and federal agencies including NOAA and the National Weather Service. Funding sources combine state appropriations, competitive grants from the National Science Foundation, cooperative agreements with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and private-sector contributions from energy and agricultural companies. Long-term sustainability planning aligns with frameworks used by networks like the Mesonet systems in Kansas and Texas Tech University Mesonet to secure infrastructure, data services, and personnel training in partnership with professional societies such as the American Meteorological Society.

Category:Meteorological networks