GOES data are combined with ground-based measurements to investigate the influence of land-surface characteristics on mesoscale processes. Satellite infrared and visible data and ground-based measurements of soil temperature and soil moisture were collected for various spatial and temporal conditions in a mountain-desert environment. A four-dimensional data assimilation scheme utilizes these data with observational nudging of MM5 predictions to optimally combine mesoscale forecast with mesoscale measurements. Results of the study show important links between atmospheric boundary layer circulations and land-surface processes in a mountain-desert environment