KCCI SchoolNet8
and the Iowa Mesonet

Daryl Herzmann

Iowa State University

Iowa Environmental
Mesonet 411

What does ‘mesonet’ mean?

‘meso’ - Spatial scale, ‘net’ - network

Why ‘environmental’?

We are interested in air quality, water quality and other non-weather datasets

Where is ‘Iowa’?

It is the current state you are in other than confusion.

More on the IEM

Project of the Department of Agronomy at Iowa State University

We are data pigs.

Look to meet the growing data needs of users in the State and elsewhere.

KCCI SchoolNet has provided us a valuable network to meet various needs.

Data Flow

Data Formatting

C 074 Min 02/17/03 ENE 00MPH 000K 460F 007F 084% 30.08" 00.00"D 00.07"M 00.00"R

D 074 Max 02/17/03 ENE 10MPH 050K 460F 021F 100% 30.20" 00.00"D 00.07"M 00.00"R

E 074 12:01 02/17/03 ENE 03MPH 046K 460F 020F 099% 30.09F 00.00"D 00.07"M 00.00"R

Your site produces roughly 6 obs per minute!

Converted Data Formats

METAR

SAUS43 KDMX 171536

METAR

QJEI 171535Z 05004KT M13/M14 A3009 RMK T11281144 P0000 70000=

Comma Delimited

SAEI4,2003/02/17 15:35:00,-11.7, 13.3,2,180,0.0,0.0,30.09

SchoolNet8 Data Users

SchoolNet8 Data Users

Storm Prediction Center [SPC]

Norman, Oklahoma

In charge of providing timely forecasts and watches of extreme weather.

Use schoolNet8 data to identify mesoscale boundaries critical in severe weather forecasting

SchoolNet8 Data Users

River Forecast Center [RFC]

Chanhassen, MN

In charge of analyzing and forecasting river flood conditions. Hydrological data.

Use SchoolNet8 precipitation totals for their water analysis.

The SchoolNet8 network has doubled the hydrological observing sensors in Central Iowa.

SchoolNet8 Data Users

Forecast Systems Laboratory [FSL]

Boulder, Colorado

Data collected under the MADIS project.

Data is used in very detailed and heavily quality controlled surface analysis programs.

This data is then included in some NCEP models.

SchoolNet8 Data Users

National Weather Service [NWS]

Des Moines, IA

Receiving data in three different formats

Use data in hydrological applications, surface analysis, severe weather awareness, winter weather awareness.

Are automatically alerted of 50+ MPH wind gusts and heavy rainfall.

NWS Auto Alerts

Previously, KCCI would have to manually relay observations to the weather service.

Now, the IEM automatically generates warnings that appear on forecaster workstations.

NWS AWIPS alerts

WWW Resources

Which website is which?

IEM Tracker

IEM Tracker

System to record metadata about sites

Most of you have probably gotten the emails from “Iowa Environ Mesonet”

Since the system came online on 25 June 2002, it has generated over 3700 tickets

Most of these tickets are generated from the automated data tracking system

What are offline alerts?

When ‘online’, your site is streaming observations to the Internet at roughly 6 obs per minute.

A process on the IEM server monitors this feed and once the most recent ob is 30 minutes old, a trouble ticket is generated and site contacts are emailed.

Understanding the Ticket.

---------------------------------

| *** IEM TRACKER REPORT *** |

------------------------------------------------------------

ID : SCOI4

Station Name : COLO ELEM _ COLO

Status Change : [OFFLINE] Site is NOT reporting to the IEM

Trouble Ticket# : 3704

Last Observation : 2003-02-17 23:53:00.00

More about the tickets

Probably 50% of the tickets are network related and out of your hands.

5% of the tickets are responded to with further information

IEM tracker has improved network performance for each of the networks it monitors.

Trouble Ticket Stats

Fewest Tickets

5 Jefferson Scranton

6 Ankeny Christian

6 Leon

Highest Online %

94 Perry

92 Jefferson Scranton

92 Clarke Osceola

Most Tickets

44 Mount Ayr

41 Colo

36 Panora

Lowest Online %

54 Pella

61 Brooklyn

70 Clarion

Keep those clocks set!

Data on the IEM website is given a timestamp of the current IEM system clock and NOT the timestamp on the observation.

The precipitation counters are adversely impacted by drifting clocks.

It makes it a bit more difficult to calculate daily precipitation totals.

Download Data Archive

Data Archives

1 minute data archive exists since 14 Feb 2002, this is available on-line

Since 10 Jul 2002, every observation is archived, but not readily available

Quickly accessible summary data is coming soon.

Hourly temperatures

20 minute temperatures

10 minute temperatures

1 minute temperatures

Hourly data

Temperature Dew Point Solar Radation

Minute Data

Temperature Dew Point Solar Radation

1 minute data!

Temperature Dew Point Solar Radation

Questions?

Daryl Herzmann

3010 Agronomy Hall

Ames, IA 50010

515.294.5978

Cell: 515.451.9249

akrherz@iastate.edu

No Slide Title

Daryl Herzmann

2003-02-07T10:07:23