Site Selection in the Oklahoma Mesonet

1
Site Selection in the Oklahoma Mesonet

• Mark A. Shafer
• Oklahoma Climatological Survey
• University of Oklahoma

2
Step 1 Guidance

• Site Standards Committee
• Undisturbed sites
• Representative of the region
• Flat and unobstructed
• Accessible for maintenance
• Uniform vegetation
• Site Selection Committee
• Specific site characteristics
• WMO standards

3
Step 2 Design

• Requirements
• At least one site per county
• Agricultural experiment stations
• Other agency needs
• Even station spacing
• Location of other networks
• Fill in gaps in coverage
• Co-location with other network sites for
  inter-comparison
• Local interest / needs
• Trade-offs representative sites, communications

4
Step 3 Picking Sites

• Finding local contacts
• Statewide organizations with county offices
  (i.e., OSU Cooperative Extension Service,
  Oklahoma Conservation Commission, State Emergency
  Management)
• Contact local officials to seek assistance,
  clarify guidelines
• Local officials identified several possible
  sites, followed-up by staff site visits with
  local official
• Learning process as we went

5
Step 4 Paperwork

• Land-Use agreements
• Limits liability and establishes 90-day notice
• Legal uncertainties who signed for the
  universities?
• Changes to agreement especially to the hold
  harmless clause (mostly federal sites)
• FCC licensing
• six at a time!
• FAA clearance (on or near airports)
• Environmental Assessments

6
Results

• 108-station network actually installed
• Minimal clustering
• usually on the basis of other requirements (i.e.,
  experiment stations)
• Privately-owned rural rangeland or grassland
  usually best sites

7
http//www.mesonet.ou.edu
8
Results

• 108-station network actually installed
• Minimal clustering
• usually on the basis of other requirements (i.e.,
  experiment stations)
• Privately-owned rural rangeland or grassland
  usually best sites
• Local enthusiasm underestimated
• Sites readily offered, often faster than staff
  could visit areas
• Landowners content only six stations moved
  since installation (3 on same owners land)
• 2 because of land-use change
• 2 for research needs
• 2 for improving site characteristics