State climatologists association hails state monitoring network as a premier source of weather and soil measurements
From record-breaking drought to above-average tornado activity in recent years, Wisconsin’s extreme weather presents major challenges for agriculture, public safety, and local communities.
Responding to these weather and climate extremes requires hyper-local weather data that is accurate, timely, and reliable — and that’s where Wisconet comes in. Now, Wisconsin’s statewide environmental monitoring network has earned a new national designation for exceeding the standards of excellence for intermediate scale (mesoscale) networks.
Wisconet, operated by the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has received the American Association of State Climatologists (AASC) Recognized Mesonet designation. This new designation recognizes Wisconet as a premier source of weather and soil measurements that operates at the highest levels of scientific and operational excellence.
“Weather data is only as good as the standards behind the sensors,” says Chris Vagasky, research program manager for Wisconet. “Earning this recognition validates the hard work our team has put in over the last three-and-a-half years, whether it’s turning the wrench during installation, validating sensor performance during maintenance visits, or developing innovative tools for our users.”
A committee of mesonet experts evaluated Wisconet’s performance across five operational categories: station siting, sensor performance, network maintenance, quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), and end-to-end data processing. Wisconet scored highly across the board, and earned top praise for key operational areas:
- Sensor Standardization & Placement: Wisconet’s exceptional network standardization and excellent sensor placement ensure consistent, research-grade readings from each of its 79 stations statewide.
- Metadata & Technical Documentation: Reviewers gave high marks for Wisconet’s maintenance and sensor documentation system, which helps Wisconet instrumentation engineers deliver high-performing weather stations.
- Manual Quality Assurance: Evaluators praised Wisconet’s hands-on QA/QC protocol, where experts conduct daily checks to catch subtle anomalies that automated reviews might miss.
- Data Display & Web Portal: Wisconet’s website earned exceptional marks for its interactive displays, clear data visualizations, and decision-support tools, building on previous global recognition for its user-focused weather tools.
Designed to support Wisconsin agriculture and public safety, Wisconet provides real-time weather and soil measurements every five minutes. Each station reports critical environmental parameters including air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, solar radiation, liquid precipitation, leaf wetness, and soil moisture and temperature across five depths.
These high-density measurements are vital for agricultural producers optimizing planting, spraying, and irrigation schedules; emergency managers responding to flash flooding or severe storms; and meteorologists delivering life-saving warnings.
“This seal of approval is a very significant achievement for Wisconet,” says Wisconsin State Climatologist Steve Vavrus,. “Wisconet has already established itself as Wisconsin’s premier weather- and soil-monitoring network that stakeholders around the state depend on. It’s gratifying to see that this network is deservedly receiving external commendation from the nation’s professional organization of state climatologists.”
Wisconet continues its expansion across the state, working towards its goal of ensuring everyone in Wisconsin is within 20 miles of a research-grade station while continually developing new web-based decision-support tools.
“We continue to work with other colleagues and scientific experts to help guide our future decision-support work and gather ideas for expansion to collect other important environmental data,” says Wisconet Director Chris Kucharik, professor of agronomy and environmental studies at UW–Madison. “Wisconet is a perfect example of the Wisconsin Idea in action every day.”
Based in the Wisconsin Energy Institute, Wisconet is supported by a funding from UW–Madison’s Wisconsin Rural Partnership initiative, which is part of a broader USDA-funded Institute for Rural Partnerships, and from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, a non-profit technology transfer organization that serves UW–Madison.
Users can explore real-time weather observations, interactive decision support tools, and detailed station metadata at wisconet.wisc.edu. Learn more about the national recognition program at the AASC Mesonet Recognition Program website.
