The Kentucky Mesonet network expanded Thursday with the ribbon-cutting of its 83rd weather station, this one located near Lewisport in Hancock County.
The site, which went online in late July, features a 33-foot tower with sensors that track air temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, precipitation, air pressure, and leaf wetness. Additional equipment monitors solar radiation and collects soil temperature and moisture data.
The project came about through a partnership between Hancock County Emergency Management and Hancock County Schools, which is hosting the site. Hancock becomes the 78th county in Kentucky with a Mesonet station, helping fill one of the last gaps in the state’s northwestern region.
“The Mesonet data is made available to partners such as the National Weather Service, who ingests that data into their operational models, thereby providing more improved weather prediction across all of Kentucky,” said Mesonet Director Jerry Brotzge. “The data are also used for issuing weather alerts and warnings.”
David Brown, dean of WKU’s Ogden College, said the station’s proximity to the Ohio River makes it especially valuable for agriculture and transportation.
“The Ohio is critical for the health of agriculture in Hancock County. It provides farmers with a source of irrigation,” Brown said. “Data collected by this site can be used by those who manage water and energy utilities, as well as transportation and emergency managers, public health officials, and all whose livelihoods depend heavily on weather and climate.”
For the past three years, the Kentucky General Assembly has invested $1.75 million annually into Kentucky Mesonet, which is managed by Western Kentucky University. The funding supports the maintenance and growth of what has become one of the nation’s most expansive weather networks.
The Mesonet now operates in 78 counties, with a long-term goal of placing a station in all 120 Kentucky counties. Real-time data are collected and transmitted to WKU’s Innovation Campus every 5 minutes, and are available online at kymesonet.org.
