HARDWICK – A Vermont Mesonet representative joined the Hardwick Planning Commission meeting to share preliminary plans for a new site in Hardwick, June 14.
The network’s first-of-21 planned weather monitoring stations was installed at the Caledonia County Fairgrounds in Lyndon, May 5, and is already providing valuable weather data, said Sam Koehler from the Water Resources Institute at the University of Vermont.
She told commission members the proposed statewide network of advanced weather stations will provide timely data necessary for extreme weather response, agricultural planning and a wide array of research initiatives. The stations will measure key variables including precipitation, temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, soil moisture and snow depth every five minutes.
Koehler attended the meeting to share information about the network with the planning commission. She told them Vermont Mesonet is a statewide weather monitoring network designed to observe weather at the mesoscale, including localized events such as thunderstorms and flooding. The network collects real-time weather data to improve monitoring and forecasting.
UVM is working with Snug Valley Farm on Pumpkin Lane as the potential host site for a future station in Hardwick, she said. Installation could occur as early as 2027.
Data collected by the Mesonet is publicly available and uploaded every five minutes. Each station consists of a 33-foot-tall weather tower within a 33-by-33-foot fenced enclosure. The instrumentation is powered by solar panels, said Koehler.
The information collected will support emergency management, dam safety, weather forecasting and other public safety applications. UVM is also working with the agricultural community to provide valuable weather information to farmers, as well as with recreation and tourism organizations, VTrans and utility providers.
Data collected by the Mesonet will be shared with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), helping supplement existing observations and improve national weather models over time.
Initial funding for the project was provided through the Leahy Institute at the University of Vermont. Each Mesonet station costs approximately $50,000 for equipment, with an additional installation cost of approximately $20,000.
Koehler emphasized Mesonet is a passive weather monitoring system. It is not a radar installation, cellular tower or 5G facility and does not emit radiofrequency signals. The station transmits collected data using the cellular network but does not generate emissions comparable to a cell tower. The installation does not include lights or audible equipment.
UVM is exploring options to provide a public-facing website where community members can view the station’s weather data in real time, she said.
The proposed installation would require a zoning permit as an accessory structure. No development review board or select board approval is required, said Koehler. The presentation was provided only for informational purposes.
