Mesowest: Cooperative Mesonets in the Western United States

TLDR

MesoWest relies on voluntary access to observations from federal, state, local agencies and commercial firms, augmenting the NWS‑maintained ASOS network to provide coverage in remote locations. MesoWest aims to improve timely access to automated observations for NWS forecasters across the western United States and to integrate these data into high‑resolution surface condition analyses for nowcasts and verification. MesoWest collects, processes, archives, integrates, and disseminates data from over 2800 automated environmental monitoring stations, providing high‑resolution surface condition analyses for nowcasts and forecast verification. MesoWest increases observation coverage in remote areas, captures local and mesoscale weather phenomena affecting the public, and supplies data for operational and research models as well as education on weather processes.

Abstract

Meteorological data from over 2800 automated environmental monitoring stations in the western United States are collected, processed, archived, integrated, and disseminated as part of the MesoWest program. MesoWest depends upon voluntary access to provisional observations from environmental monitoring stations installed and maintained by federal, state, and local agencies and commercial firms. In many cases, collection and transmission of these observations are facilitated by NWS forecast offices, government laboratories, and universities. MesoWest augments the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) network maintained by the NWS, Federal Aviation Administration, and Department of Defense. MesoWest increases the coverage of observations in remote locations and helps capture many of the local and mesoscale weather phenomena that impact the public. The primary goal of MesoWest is to improve timely access to automated observations for NWS forecasters at offices throughout the western United States. In addition, integration of the observations into analyses of surface conditions at high spatial and temporal resolution provides additional tools for nowcasts and forecast verification. MesoWest observations are being used for many other applications, including input to operational and research models and research and education on weather processes in the western United States.