Enhanced monitoring through hyperlocal weather networks

Since 2001, Earth Networks has led public and private efforts between academic institutions, corporations, and various local, state and federal government agencies, including the NOAA, to establish a comprehensive National Mesonet.

The purpose of a National Mesonet is to collect and disseminate comprehensive, standardized data necessary to improve short- and medium-term local weather forecasting, plume-dispersion modeling, climate monitoring, and air-quality analyses.

As both a significant contributor and key aggregator of National Mesonet data, Earth Networks is at the forefront of delivering meticulously collected and carefully documented atmospheric and subsurface observations, including detailed site-describing metadata for each location.

The data provided by the National Mesonet will support such critical activities as these:

• Numerical weather and plume dispersion modeling for improved short-term weather and hazardous chemical predictions.
• Validation, calibration and corrections to surface and space-based remote sensing observational systems.
• Regional climate monitoring.
• Improved decision support through enhanced situational awareness of environmental conditions. 

Through these efforts, Earth Networks, NOAA and others are collaborating to protect life and property and to promote the national economy through enhanced observation, early detection, and more accurate weather and environmental forecasting.