Bowling Green, Ky. - Gov. Ernie Fletcher has signed a resolution recognizing the Kentucky Mesonet as the official source of climatological observations for the state.

The Mesonet, a statewide automated environmental monitoring network, is being developed by the Kentucky Climate Center at Western Kentucky University in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service.

Senate Joint Resolution 228, sponsored by Sen. Brett Guthrie of Bowling Green and Sen. Richie Sanders of Franklin, was approved 38-0 by the Senate on March 14 and 97-0 by the House on March 23 and signed by Gov. Fletcher on April 5.

“The unanimous votes in the Kentucky Senate and House of Representatives reflect broad support for the Mesonet and show that our state legislators clearly recognize the value this project holds for the people of Kentucky,” said state climatologist Stuart Foster, director of the Kentucky Climate Center.

“Obtaining legislative approval to recognize the Mesonet as the official source of climatological observations obviously enhances the importance of the project and the role of the Kentucky Climate Center in meeting the needs of the people of the Commonwealth. We are grateful for the support of the General Assembly and Gov. Ernie Fletcher.”

The network of approximately 100 stations will collect real-time weather and climate observations and will support a variety of products to serve needs across Kentucky.  “Data collected by the Kentucky Mesonet will have wide-ranging applications in agriculture, education, emergency management, engineering and construction, water supply management, weather forecasting, and other areas,” Dr. Foster said.

The project was funded by a $1.5 million federal earmark secured by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell for the Kentucky Climate Center, part of WKU’s Applied Research and Technology Program in the Ogden College of Science and Engineering.

In recent weeks, Dr. Foster and Dr. Rezaul Mahmood, assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Geology, have been meeting with the Kentucky Mesonet Steering Committee and other groups to begin the process to select sites around the state for monitoring stations.

Along with site survey work, the climate center will set up a laboratory at WKU to test and calibrate the equipment and will develop the information technology infrastructure to collect and process the data from the stations.

The first 15 to 20 stations could be operational by spring 2007, Dr. Foster said.

More information about the Mesonet legislation is available online at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/06RS/SJ228.htm

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Stuart Foster at (270) 745-5983.

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