Oklahoma Mesonetwork Meteorological Observations

Meteorological data is collected from over 110 automated monitoring stations across all 77 Oklahoma counties. The network, operated by Oklahoma State University and The University of Oklahoma, records parameters like air temperature, humidity, wind, and soil moisture at 5-minute intervals. The research-quality archive contains nearly 100% of possible observations since its commissioning in March 1994.

Use Cases

• Model soil moisture dynamics at 5, 25, and 60 cm depths using rainfall and temperature data.
• Analyze wind speed and direction patterns at 10 meters for renewable energy site assessments.
• Forecast localized air temperature and relative humidity from time-series data collected at 1.5 and 9.0 meters.
• Study rainfall intensity and distribution via tipping bucket measurements across the station network.
• Correlate solar radiation measurements with soil temperature data at various depths under sod and bare soil conditions.

Strengths

• High temporal resolution with data collected at 5-minute intervals, 24 hours per day.
• Dense spatial coverage with over 110 stations, at least one in each of Oklahoma's 77 counties and an average spacing of 32 km.
• Nearly 100% data recovery rate since 1994, supported by on-site data loggers storing up to 30 days of data.

Limitations

• Geographic scope is limited to the state of Oklahoma, limiting applicability for broader regional models.
• Specific data volume (rows, file size) and column-level schema details are not provided in the description.
• Data access requires a request to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, which may involve a manual process.

Provenance

Source

Oklahoma Mesonetwork, operated jointly by Oklahoma State University and The University of Oklahoma.

Collection Method

Automated measurements from environmental monitoring stations relayed via radio telemetry to a base-station computer.

Time Range

From March 1994 to present.

Freshness

Data is collected in real-time, but the update frequency for the public archive is not specified.

Geography

State of Oklahoma, United States.