The New York State Mesonet: A General Overview

The New York State (NYS) Mesonet Early Warning Weather Detection System is a new advanced, statewide weather station network that provides unprecedented weather information across the state. This network is the first of its kind in New York and will consist of 125 surface weather stations that will detect weather phenomena across the entire state.  This weather detection system provides federal, state, and local communities with access to high-resolution, real-time data, and more robust predictive models. Funded by FEMA, the network is designed, implemented, and operated by scientists at the University at Albany with support from the New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. 

Each of the Mesonet’s 125 weather stations measures surface temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, precipitation, solar radiation, atmospheric pressure, snow depth, and soil moisture and temperature at three depths (5, 25, and 50 cm).  This presentation will provide a general overview of the network, including a brief discussion of the station siting, sensors used, and quality control efforts.