MADISON — Weather data is everywhere. Precipitation, dewpoints, the day’s high temperature and wind direction, all instantaneously available at our fingertips from any smart device. But did you ever think about how that data is collected and transmitted for constant, real-time updates?
That answer is likely sitting in a field somewhere in Wisconsin, where a 10-foot tall tripod is equipped with an anemometer, temperature and humidity sensors, a rain gauge and other measuring devices.
A network of these weather-monitoring towers is expanding across Wisconsin. It’s called the Wisconsin Environmental Mesonet, or Wisconet.
“A mesonet is a mesoscale network of weather stations,” Wisconet Manager Chris Vagasky told WTMJ. “Meso, in meteorological terms, means it’s a county by county or state by state size network…we’re able to see exactly how the weather is changing on a very rapid time scale.”
Each Wisconet station takes 22 measurements every five minutes — that kind of data is precise enough to track both the major and the subtle changes. It can be critical information for researchers and the National Weather Service.
“That data helps the weather service know if they need to issue warnings, or know how their warnings are performing,” said Vagasky.
Mesonets in other states look similar, but Wisconsin’s stands out because of its utility for agriculture. Wisconet stations have sensors below the ground, measuring soil moisture and temperature at five depths.
Natasha Paris sees the value is soil monitoring every day. She’s a Regional Crops Educator at UW-Madison Division of Extension and hosts the Green Lake County Wisconet station at her farm.
“We know that specific crops will germinate at specific temperatures,” Paris told WTMJ. “It can also help you know if you’re going to cause compaction if you go out into the field with some equipment.”
Detailed information about soil conditions also indicates the recharge for Wisconsin’s lakes and aquifers, and paints a clearer picture of drought conditions.
Wisconet data is also proving useful for land management. It can help determine when state trails should open to the public, or even help plan controlled burns based on when cicadas and hibernating turtles emerge.
A Wisconet station takes relatively little maintenance — it’s powered by a solar panel and can work for a week without sunlight. They transmit data over the Verizon network, and that data ends up on the Wisconet website, where the public can access maps and meteograms and download specific datapoints. The UW Division of Extension also publishes regular agriculture climate outlook reports using the data.
“It’s a valuable tool for everyone in Wisconsin,” said Paris. “Home gardeners, even people looking at when to winterize their homes….Don’t hesitate to reach out to your local extension office if you want to learn more about how to use these tools.”
58 Wisconet stations have been installed so far, with plans for 22 more in 2025. Wisconsin does have about 120 other weather monitoring stations that aren’t part of Wisconet, according to Vagasky. But the connectivity of stations and ability to measure so many variables from one unit makes the mesonet system an indispensable tool, especially as climate change brings unpredictable extremes and fluctuations to Wisconsin.
