EMS Annual Meeting Abstracts
Vol. 22, EMS2025-568, 2025, updated on 30 Jun 2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/ems2025-568
EMS Annual Meeting 2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Transforming Weather Monitoring: Oklahoma's Advances in 3D Mesonet Systems
Chris Fiebrich1, Alyssa Avery2, Tyler Bell3, Matthew Cann4, Mark Fox5, James Hocker1, Jamey Jacob9, Cynthia Luttrell1, Steven Piltz6, Elizabeth Smith7, and John Walker8
Chris Fiebrich et al.
  • 1University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Climatological Survey, Oklahoma Mesonet, Norman, OK
  • 2Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
  • 3University of Oklahoma, Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations, Norman, OK
  • 4Greensight, Inc., Boston, MA
  • 5National Weather Service, Norman WFO, Norman, OK
  • 6National Weather Service, Tulsa WFO, Tulsa, OK
  • 7National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, OK
  • 8National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD
  • 9Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education, Stillwater, OK

The University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, the US National Severe Storms Lab, and various US National Weather Service Forecast Offices have been actively engaged in enhancing the capabilities and applications of a 3D Mesonet system. This presentation will overview the extensive activities and advancements in Mesonet operations, focusing on the integration of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) for atmospheric profiling. The Oklahoma Mesonet system, comprised of 120 surface stations across the state, plays a crucial foundational role in real-time weather monitoring and data collection.

Through numerous experiments and field campaigns since 2014, we have deployed UAS for high-resolution vertical measurements of atmospheric parameters such as pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and direction. These measurements are key for understanding the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and improving weather forecasting, agricultural decision-making, wildland fire management, wind energy optimization, and climate monitoring. Additionally, 3D Mesonet data have shown great promise in nowcasting, particularly in identifying low-level inversions that impact pesticide application and predicting fire behavior and smoke dispersal.

The integration of UAS with Mesonet infrastructure will allow for simultaneous data collection at multiple sites, providing new insights into the spatial heterogeneity of the ABL. This presentation will also discusses ongoing projects, including an initiative with WeatherHive and collaborations with the US National Weather Service (NWS) to enhance severe weather forecasting through real-time data ingest and analysis.

Furthermore, this presentation will highlight the need to develop robust and reliable UAV systems equipped with precision landing, automatic charging, and risk mitigation measures for unattended operations. A prototype built by the Advanced Radar Research Center at the University of Oklahoma demonstrated the capability to detect aircraft within a geofenced area, ensuring safe and efficient data collection.

Overall, the advancements in 3D Mesonet technology and its applications underscore the importance of continuous innovation in atmospheric research and its practical implications for various sectors.

 

How to cite: Fiebrich, C., Avery, A., Bell, T., Cann, M., Fox, M., Hocker, J., Jacob, J., Luttrell, C., Piltz, S., Smith, E., and Walker, J.: Transforming Weather Monitoring: Oklahoma's Advances in 3D Mesonet Systems, EMS Annual Meeting 2025, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 7–12 Sep 2025, EMS2025-568, https://doi.org/10.5194/ems2025-568, 2025.

Recorded presentation

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