Wisconsin has experienced a wide range of extreme weather events in 2023, from severe thunderstorms and tornadoes to wildfire smoke, heavy precipitation, and extreme drought. This variability in weather can have a significant impact on daily life and the economy.
To help people better prepare for and respond to changing weather conditions, the University of Wisconsin–Madison is creating a new weather network called Wisconet. Wisconet will consist of 90 weather stations located across the state, including at least one station in every county.
Each Wisconet station will collect data on a variety of weather conditions, including temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, liquid precipitation, solar radiation, leaf wetness, and soil moisture and temperature. This data will be available in real time on the Wisconet website, and it will be used by a variety of stakeholders, including meteorologists, researchers, farmers, and growers.
Wisconet is supported by a $2.3 million grant from the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Wisconsin Rural Partnership initiative. The institute aims to promote equitable, resilient, and prosperous food and agricultural systems and expanded opportunities for rural community development.
Wisconet, a new weather network created by the University of Wisconsin–Madison, will provide valuable data to help people make informed decisions about how to prepare for and respond to changing weather conditions. This data will be especially important for farmers and growers, who need to be able to make quick decisions about irrigation and other practices.
Wisconet is still under development, but the team is working to install the first stations in Dane, Sauk, Jackson, and Clark counties in the coming months. They aim to have 75 stations installed by 2026.
Vagasky expressed excitement about the launch of Wisconet and the belief that the network will be a valuable resource for people across Wisconsin.
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Categories: Wisconsin, Weather