Understanding precipitation changes in Oklahoma and contributions of the Oklahoma Mesonet

Abstract

Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide weather monitoring system, has been taking high-frequency (every 5 minutes) rainfall observations across the state for over 20 years. Precipitation is among the most important indicators used to define droughts. It is also crucial for determining appropriate irrigation amounts in the agricultural sector, and thus make agricultural production more cost-effective. During flooding events, real-time rainfall observations are vital for forecasters and decision makers.
Since the establishment of the Oklahoma Mesonet, researchers and staff have developed sophisticated models to represent and analyze different weather variables and make them freely accessible to the general public, researchers, and stakeholders. This research presents new and innovative additions to the Mesonet’s methodology that allow for a more comprehensive analysis of precipitation across Oklahoma.
The first part of the new methodology is a dynamic animation of recent rain amounts based on data from up to 120 Mesonet sites located across the state. The animations include radar estimates of rainfall between Mesonet sites. Included in the software are increased time resolution and flexible changes of time intervals for any selected recent or past time period.
The second part of the presented methodology is volumetric 3D rain models based on Mesonet rain totals and radar estimates across the state. The models allow for a comparative analysis of precipitation changes that have been occurring over time at each Mesonet site in Oklahoma. The 3D models can be useful both for research purposes and outreach activities, as they facilitate an easy understanding of otherwise very complex precipitation data sets. The 3D perspective further promotes a geographical precipitation analysis, which is important for better comprehension and comparisons of two or more 3D models from equal time periods.
The third key component of the presented research is new software developed with the aim of automatically recording and storing weather data at all Mesonet sites. Due to the high importance of precipitation measurements, the Oklahoma Mesonet recently added a backup rain gauge to all stations to allow for redundant rainfall observations and ensure data consistency. The presented software makes it possible to process dual-gauge observations at all Mesonet sites, which reduces the number of invalid or missing measurements due to a faulty gauge. The software is crucial for maintaining accurate and continuous delivery of rainfall totals for the state of Oklahoma.
The presented methods provide an improved and more accurate representation of precipitation changes occurring in Oklahoma. They will be demonstrated at the 2015 Water Research Symposium, and their practical application for research, education, and decision support will be explained.