What do you think about when you hear or read the word weather? In my role as an agronomist or more specifically as the Water and Integrated Cropping Systems Extension Educator for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I think of complexity and integration. Of the over 500 stakeholder calls I have received this year, weather or climate was something that I had to consider when answering most of them.
The Nebraska Mesonet (https://mesonet.unl.edu) is a statewide weather monitoring network with 64 stations located in 47 counties. The network started in 1981 focused on servicing data to the ag community, but as expanded to also include environmental monitoring too. Mesonet stations are equipped to observe hourly conditions for the following variables: Air temperature, humidity, liquid precipitation, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, barometric pressure, soil temperature and soil moisture. I make use of the daily maps including potential evapotranspiration, winter wheat growing degree days, 2 and 4-inch soil temperatures, and soil moisture at depths of 2, 4, 8, 20, and 40-inches. I have used this information along with other weather data resources like the National Weather Service to aid clients in make data-driven agronomic decisions.
The network is supported by the State of Nebraska in collaboration with the Department of Natural Resources and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Many agencies and individuals contribute to network operations through service agreements (including funding) for specific stations. For example, as the local Water & Integrated Cropping Systems Extension Educator, I allocated some of my local UNL Extension funds to get a new 10-meter weather station that is currently being installed at the old Wilber airport in cooperation with the City of Wilber. I am looking for area partners to help cost share the annual maintenance and upkeep cost. Please contact me if you are interested in being a local funding partner (such as a Bank, Ag retailer, etc.) with Nebraska Extension for the new weather station near Wilber. Also, please contact the Nebraska Mesonet staff if you would like to inquire about a new station in your area at 402-472-5206.
I encourage you to visit the Mesonet (https://mesonet.unl.edu) and check out the interactive Mesonet station map which includes images of the weather station and surrounding area. There are real-time maps, current weather variables table, and other daily maps accessible via the main header tabs on the website. For more information about using the Mesonet (https://mesonet.unl.edu) and other general inquiries about agronomic resources from Nebraska Extension, feel free to contact me at or 402-821-1722. Know your crop, know your tech, know your bottom line at croptechcafe.org.
