Kansas Mesonet Achieves Consistent Precipitation Data

Introduction

The Kansas Mesonet was established in the spring of 1984 by the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service. The first station was deployed at the Kansas State University North Agronomy Farm in Manhattan, and by 1986 the network had grown to 13 stations representing the different climatic zones of Kansas. The network has evolved through three distinct phases, expanding and modernizing over the decades to its current size.

The Kansas Mesonet works to collect data and disseminate that information to people in a way they can easily use it. It serves farmers, ranchers, water managers, and researchers.

Filling In the Gaps

Recently, the mesonet has been focused on standardizing precipitation measurements. They wanted higher resolution measurement and accuracy. During the heavy rainfall events common in the Flint Hills, their tipping bucket gauges were under reporting water totals. Entirely missing snowfall measurements further impacted the reported totals, even though frozen precipitation makes up a small portion of Kansas state’s annual precipitation.

Chip Redmond, Kansas State Mesonet Manager and Meteorologist at Kansas State University, shared details about these efforts with us. In attempts to hone in their precipitation data, they tried duplicating rain gauges, placing identical gauges right next to the other. Frustratingly, these tests resulted in varying data, making it difficult to trust readings. It also prevented them from confidently standardizing a certain measurement process between stations.

Redmond and his team continued testing new models of precipitation monitoring, including Apogee’s Cloudburst weighing precipitation gauge. They put it through rigorous duplication testing at various sites. Through this testing and back-and-forth communication with Apogee’s team, Redmond found the Cloudburst was the solution they were looking for. It fit in their budget, the data was consistent between instruments, and there weren’t gaps in data during high-volume rainstorms or frozen precipitation events.

This network is now planning to deploy Cloudburst gauges at all the 95 stations that make up the modern-day Kansas Mesonet. Redmond shared,

“Apogee’s gauge is to the point where we have utmost confidence in that data, and we will willingly support that and put it up against anyone else’s data... we think that that data is high quality and will be more cost efficient, really, in the long run.

“Now, we’re making better infrastructure and different decisions in the state of Kansas based upon that improved precipitation data. So, we really, really needed it more than we ever really knew.”

Conclusion

With reliable, accurate data that tracks precipitation events with high resolution, their modeling is improving. Improved modeling leads to improving decisions across all the disciplines utilizing their water data, shaping and sustaining an entire state.