Reviewed by: Nathan Watson
NOAA awards $3M to South Alabama to improve weather prediction in Black Belt region
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded $3 million to the University of South Alabama in hopes of improving weather prediction across 20 counties in the Alabama Black Belt region.
The funding will expand the South Alabama Mesonet system, connecting areas currently only covered by satellite monitoring.
Keep reading to learn more about how these new stations will help the National Weather Service + see South Alabama’s role in the project.
South Alabama Mesonet
The Mesonet system was first launched by University of South Alabama professor Dr. Sytske Kimball in 2004. It now consists of 26 automated weather stations in the gulf coast region.
The weather stations automatically collect 24 different meteorological and soil samples every minute of every day including:
- Temperature
- Rainfall
- Wind speed and direction
- Soil temperature
- Humidity
The Mesonet is entirely funded through grants and donations to support routine maintenance, sensor replacement/repair, calibration of instruments and pay for student workers.
“It has always been my dream to secure solid funding for the South Alabama Mesonet and to expand the number of stations. With this grant, that dream has been realized.”
~ Dr. Sytske Kimball, University of South Alabama
The data from these ground-based stations, which can be accessed by the National Weather Service, can help provide timely warnings in advance of storms.
This information can be beneficial to a wide range of organizations including those in the agriculture, aviation, energy and forestry sectors.
Besides expanding the number of monitoring stations and upgrading current equipment, the new funding will allow Kimball to hire a Mesonet manager, field technician and IT specialist to oversee the project’s operation.
“It is a huge benefit to be able to hire dedicated staff to help with expanding and upgrading the stations and also with updating the website to include value-added products and tools.”
~ Dr. Sytske Kimball, University of South Alabama
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