(WKYT) – The Kentucky Mesonet has added a new weather station in Laurel County, bringing the state’s official weather and climate network to 86 stations.
The Kentucky Mesonet launched in 2007 with the goal of building a network of fully automated, research-grade weather stations across the state. Each station collects environmental data including soil moisture, temperature, air quality and humidity.
Expanding statewide coverage
The network is working toward placing at least one station in each of Kentucky’s 120 counties.
“We are two-thirds of the way there in our goal to have at least one of these weather stations that are fully automated and research-grade in all 120 counties across Kentucky,” said Shane Holinde, Kentucky Mesonet Outreach Manager.
Data used across multiple fields
The data collected by the network has been used by meteorology, forestry, agriculture and health departments. The network has also been used to identify severe weather multiple times since its founding.