02.23.11
Oklahoma Mesonet vs. NWS Station Observations
The Oklahoma Mesonet is a network of 120 environmental observing stations distributed across Oklahoma. Sometimes (if not most of the time), the Oklahoma Mesonet, run by the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, can be more accurate than the National Weather Service observing stations.
Yesterday, the Norman National Weather Service station was having issues…including a temperature range of -20 °F to 86 °F (it was actually in the 50s) and a dewpoint range of -42 °F to 45 °F (actually all in the 20s)!!
The following meteograms show temperature and dewpoint for Norman from about midnight last night through midnight this morning. Check out that temperature drop and spike on the NWS version! Note the dewpoint drops off a couple times on the NWS meteogram…no data was recorded these two times, but then it came back with a reading of -42 °F!
NWS Norman station; click to enlarge (based on a meteogram from the University of Wyoming; temperature [pink] and dewpoint [green] given on the side scales, local time and hourly temperature given below):
Oklahoma Mesonet Norman station:
