Mesoscale convective systems, which occur frequently during the warm season in midlatitudes, are significant sources of water for the agricultural areas of the Midwest. Unfortunately, numerical models often have difficulty accurately predicting the rainfall related to these systems. The rainfall, in turn, affects soil moisture which influences lower tropospheric temperature and moisture and can affect subsequent convective system formation. In recent years, several weather observing networks have been combined to form the Iowa Environmental Mesonet (IEM). The high density of surface stations in the IEM can help in better understanding mesoscale phenomenona. We will discuss ways that the IEM data is being used to better understand how small-scale variations in surface moisture can affect boundary layer processes. In addition, we will discuss how the IEM is being used to better understand sources of errors in precipitation forecasts of convective systems.