Cariboo Alpine Mesonet Meteorological Time Series, 2017-2021

Time series of meteorological variables collected at 15-minute intervals at 22 sites across the Quesnel, upper Fraser and Nechako watersheds in Canada. The dataset includes air, near-surface air/snow and soil temperatures, relative humidity, snow depth, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, solar radiation, and wind speed and direction, along with rainfall and air temperature from tipping bucket rain gauges. Data were collected by Jeremy Morris from 2017 to 2021 and are provided with quality flags and detailed metadata.

Use Cases

• Modeling snowpack dynamics and meltwater runoff based on snow depth and temperature data.
• Analyzing microclimate variability across watersheds based on distributed air temperature and humidity measurements.
• Calibrating hydrological models using high-temporal-resolution precipitation and soil temperature data.
• Studying wind patterns and solar radiation for renewable energy potential assessments in alpine regions.

Strengths

• Data from 22 distinct sites provide spatial coverage across multiple watersheds.
• High temporal resolution with measurements recorded at 15-minute intervals.
• Includes a recommended quality flag for each data point, with 'P' for pass and 'F' for fail.
• Detailed metadata and instrument specifications are provided in accompanying documentation.

Limitations

• Data for two sites, Kasalka Creek and Laventie Creek, are not available due to animal disturbance.
• Tipping bucket rain gauges are not shielded or heated and therefore cannot measure snowfall.
• Row count and total file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Jeremy Morris

Collection Method

Instrument measurements from meteorological stations and tipping bucket rain gauges.

Time Range

2017-2021

Geography

Quesnel, upper Fraser and Nechako watersheds, Canada