Oklahoma Climatological Survey (OCS) Climatologists Ken Crawford, Director and State Climatologist and State Climatologist Mark Shafer Derek Arndt Gary McManus

Funding 36 FTE plus 9 graduate, 9 undergraduate students36 FTE plus 9 graduate, 9 undergraduate students $2.6 million total funding for OK Mesonet$2.6 million total funding for OK Mesonet $450K state funding for State Climate Office and Outreach programs$450K state funding for State Climate Office and Outreach programs $365K external funding (research and technology transfer)$365K external funding (research and technology transfer)

Oklahoma Mesonet 157 sites, 3000 sensors157 sites, 3000 sensors 99.7% collection efficiency99.7% collection efficiency 3 site visits every year3 site visits every year Additional measurements: soil moisture, Eddy-Covariance Fluxes, CO2Additional measurements: soil moisture, Eddy-Covariance Fluxes, CO2 Mesonet 2002 InstituteMesonet 2002 Institute A leader in quality-assurance techniquesA leader in quality-assurance techniques

Oklahoma Mesonet Sites

Mesonet Infrastructure Communications upgrade begunCommunications upgrade begun (all radios must be upgraded by 2005) New ingest, processing, and QA softwareNew ingest, processing, and QA software Moved to Linux-based OSMoved to Linux-based OS Cheaper, more flexibleCheaper, more flexible Increased network securityIncreased network security

Service Manage 1500 web accountsManage 1500 web accounts ftp access to real-time Mesonet dataftp access to real-time Mesonet data Phone / visitor requests for information (~15 per day = 3750 per year)Phone / visitor requests for information (~15 per day = 3750 per year) Data holdings:Data holdings: OK Mesonet (beginning 1994)OK Mesonet (beginning 1994) Cooperative observer data (beg. 1892)Cooperative observer data (beg. 1892) WSR-88D, 15 sites (beg. 1998)WSR-88D, 15 sites (beg. 1998) NWS text messages (beg. 2002)NWS text messages (beg. 2002)

Old-Fashioned Real-Time Data

Merge with Other Data Sets

Real-Time Alerts

Agricultural Models

Media Routine press releases and telephone contacts, carried in at least 80 newspaper articlesRoutine press releases and telephone contacts, carried in at least 80 newspaper articles OCS monthly summary revampedOCS monthly summary revampedhttp://climate.ocs.ou.edu/ OCS/Mesonet Ticker – of interesting observations, sent to more than 100 subscribers (free), about 2-3 times per weekOCS/Mesonet Ticker – of interesting observations, sent to more than 100 subscribers (free), about 2-3 times per week

OCS/Mesonet Ticker Newspapers and TV eat this stuff up – they get an “angle” for a story. Sometimes, it launches a story of its own. And it adds to your credibility daily.

Outreach Programs 640 trained at OCS workshops in trained at OCS workshops in 2002 Developed materials for the Magic School Bus weather exhibit (visiting 36 cities nationally)Developed materials for the Magic School Bus weather exhibit (visiting 36 cities nationally) OK-FIRST (emergency managers)OK-FIRST (emergency managers) Earthstorm (K-12 schools)Earthstorm (K-12 schools) Rural Electric CooperativesRural Electric Cooperatives

Client Software WxScope plugin for browsersWxScope plugin for browsers WeatherScope application software (new)WeatherScope application software (new) WeatherBuddy desktop applicationWeatherBuddy desktop application Overhauled or developed new web sites:Overhauled or developed new web sites: Ag WeatherAg Weather NWS productsNWS products OK-FIRSTOK-FIRST

WxScope Plugin

Research Collaboration Joint Urban 2003 dispersion experimentJoint Urban 2003 dispersion experiment Defense Threat Reduction AgencyDefense Threat Reduction Agency Department of EnergyDepartment of Energy Department of Homeland SecurityDepartment of Homeland Security International H2O Project (IHOP)International H2O Project (IHOP) Soil Moisture Experiment 2003 (SMEX03)Soil Moisture Experiment 2003 (SMEX03)

JOINT URBAN “PARTY BUS”