![\"ok](\"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/climate\/files\/2015\/05\/ok-mesonet-may-2015-so-far.jpg\")
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In addition to the network of weather stations run and maintained by the National Weather Service, there are a number of other public and private weather networks that collect weather and climate information. \u00a0These networks are called “mesonetworks” or “mesonets” because they cover a smaller region that then NWS network. \u00a0They also use different instrumentation which may cause slight variations in the weather observations that are recorded. \u00a0For example, they may measure the wind at 2 meters instead of the 10 meter winds observed by the NWS. \u00a0This results in a lower wind speed for the mesonets, since friction close to the surface keeps winds speeds lower at elevations closer to the ground. \u00a0Many of them are not as rigorously quality controlled as the NWS network is, but they still can provide useful data for many uses. \u00a0For example, the higher density of stations and the more frequent observations can be useful when severe weather or flooding threaten.<\/p>\n
The grandmother of all the mesonets in operation now is the Oklahoma mesonet. \u00a0You can find their data at https:\/\/www.mesonet.org. \u00a0An example map from the OK Mesonet is shown below. \u00a0This map shows the tremendous precipitation that Oklahoma has received in the last 30 days. \u00a0In some cases OK Mesonet stations have reported over 20 inches in the last month! \u00a0This is several times higher than the normal value.<\/p>\n