The Utah Mesonet: Monitoring Weather Conditions in the Intermountain West

Tom Potter, Director

Utah Mesonet

Project began during 1994 in cooperation with National Weather Service

Surface observations obtained from local, state, and federal agencies and private firms

Data retrieved, processed, and displayed every 15 minutes

Goals:

• provide access to weather information in a timely fashion for operational decision makers and the public
• archive and utilize weather data for research and education related to understanding weather phenomena in the intermountain region

People Behind the Scenes Currently

• John Horel. Professor. Department of Meteorology (Overall coordination)
• Larry Dunn. Science and Operations Officer. Salt Lake City National Weather Service Office (Overall coordination)
• Mike Splitt. Research Associate. CIRP (Lead Scientist)
• Bryan White. Research Associate. CIRP (Programmer)
• Craig Clements. Graduate Student. CIRP (What all grad students do)
• Dan Judd. Judd Communications (Installation/Communications)
• Steven Lazarus. Post-doc. CIRP (ADAS development)
• Carol Ciliberti. Graduate Student/Avalanche Forecast Center (ADAS development)

People Who Have Made Significant Contributions

• Jason Stiff. KIFI Idaho Falls
• Jonathan Slemmer. Oxnard Weather Service Office
• David Zaff. Western Region National Weather Service
• Bruce Tremper. U.S. Forest Service Avalanche Forecast Center

Goals of This Meeting

Inform current and prospective data providers about current status of the Utah Mesonet

Discuss future developments:

• software improvements
• new installations by participating agencies
• opportunities to fill data gaps as a result of joint activities
• discuss proposed data usage disclaimer policies about data access

Meeting Schedule

• 9:00-10:00 Introduction & Overview
• 10:00-10:20 Break
• 10:20-11:30? Plans for the Utah Mesonet, Feedback from data providers, Communications, data access, cooperative ventures, outreach

Examples of Mesonets Around the Country

What is a Mesonet? A collection of surface observing stations that cover a region in sufficient detail both in space and time to be able to monitor and nowcast the progression of mesoscale weather features (structure of fronts, outflow boundaries from mesoscale convective complexes, terrain circulations, etc.)

Demonstration Network in Colorado

• Established by Forecast Systems Laboratory
• Designed to test equipment and software development for NWS modernization
• Status: Discontinued operation

Oklahoma Mesonet

• Established by Oklahoma State Survey and University of Oklahoma
• One station in each county of Oklahoma
• Status: Information not directly available to public. Must register for educational uses; may have to pay for commercial uses.

Texas Mesonet

• Under development by Texas A&M in cooperation with utility companies
• Large number of stations around Texas with initial deployment in central Texas
• Proposed to be funded by surcharge on electrical use around the state

Unique Aspects of the Utah Mesonet

Relies on local, state, an d federal agencies and private firms to provide most of observations; limited number of stations deployed to fill data voids

Cooperating agenices bear the cost of installing, maintaining, and upgrading equipment and communication costs for the most part

Surface observations are combined with other observations to provide a 3-dimensional analysis of the atmosphere for a limited domain of northwestern Utah

On-line information:

• SLC NWSFO Interface
• University of Utah Interface
• UDOT Interface

Applications of the Utah Mesonet: Utah ARPS Data Analysis System (ADAS)

Local analysis at high temporal (1 h) and spatial resolution ( 2 km or 1 km)

Provide near real-time high resolution data over the complex terrain of northwes t Utah

Based on the Oklahoma ADAS (ARPS Data Analysis System) developed by the Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms (CAPS)

Incorporation of large-scale and local data:

• Rapid Update Cycle Version 2 (RUC2) analysis used to initialize ADAS
• Utah Mesonet available at 15 minute intervals
• NWS rawinsonde provides upper air data at 0 and 12 GMT
• NWS WSR-88D velocity and reflectivity data obtained at 5-10 minute intervals (NIDS products)
• Visible and IR Satellite imagery used to specify cloud water

Continued Development of ADAS:

• Incorporate other data sources:
  • Dugway profiler
  • ACAR ascents and descents
  • FAA terminal doppler radar
  • Level-2 radar data from KMTX
  • GOES sounding information
• Use ADAS to initialize the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) to provide high resolution forecasts of mesoscale events.

On-line Information: ADAS

Research Applications of the Utah Mesonet

Analysis of lake-effect snowstorms: Jim Steenburgh, Daryl Onton, Scott Halvorson

Diurnal mountain/valley and lake breeze circulations: Jim Steenburgh and Jeb Stewart

Future Developments Regarding the Utah Mesonet

Communication and Software Upgrades

• Additional dial-out computer at SLC WSO
• Radio communication to sites around Wasatch Front: Weber State; Dike North; Air Quality sites
• Capability to zoom in/out on graphical pages
• Improved data base software
• Quality-control of winds
• Add prospective networks

Coordinate with NWS Science and Operations Officers (SOOs) around region to identify additional data resources and add networks that are accessible via the Internet

• Elko, Las Vegas, and Reno, Nevada
• Boise and Pocatello, Idaho
• Billings and Missoula, Montana
• Riverton, Wyoming
• Grand Junction, Colorado
• Flagstaff, Arizona

Assess costs to develop communications at NWS offices around the region to access remote sites not available via the Internet

Proposed Disclaimer Regarding Mesonet Data Usage

Data contained in the Utah Mesonet arise from cooperative arrangements with many different agencies and commercial firms. The data is intended to be used by personnel in governmental agencies to protect lives and property and by the public for general information. The data may also be used for research and educational purposes. Any other uses of the data from one or more stations must receive written approval from the agencies that installed the weather sensors. Contact the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Regional Prediction to receive information on the sources of the data.

Due to the nature of data transmission across the Internet and other communication factors, the information found in the Utah Mesonet may not always be current. No warranties are expressed or implied regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information contained in the Utah Mesonet. Data users are cautioned to consider the provisional nature of the data before using it for decision making.