Presenter Abstract
The University of Oklahoma (OU) and the Oklahoma Mesonet have achieved a significant operational milestone: the initiation of quasi-operational weather-sensing UAS (WxUAS) flights at a Mesonet station. Since early 2026, OU teams have collected hourly WxUAS atmospheric profiles at the Washington, OK Mesonet site at least once per week for an 8-hour period, with data transmitted in real time to the National Weather Service via the National Mesonet Program. This effort represents a meaningful and replicable step toward the routine integration of UAS-based measurements into existing operational surface networks.
This presentation will cover: (1) key lessons learned from quasi-operational flights to date, including logistical, regulatory, and meteorological challenges; (2) real-time data visualization tools developed for use in NWS forecast offices; (3) select case studies in which WxUAS profiles captured meteorologically significant features that standard surface observations missed; and (4) a roadmap for expanding the program to additional Mesonet sites and increasing flight frequency.
Presentations
Presented in Session 11: Research to Operations I
Integrating Quasi-Operational CopterSonde WxUAS Operations into the Oklahoma Mesonet
The University of Oklahoma (OU) and the Oklahoma Mesonet have achieved a significant operational milestone: the initiation of quasi-operational weather-sensing UAS (WxUAS) flights at a Mesonet station. Since early 2026, OU teams have collected hourly WxUAS atmospheric profiles at the Washington, OK Mesonet site at least once per week for an 8-hour period, with data transmitted in real time to the National Weather Service via the National Mesonet Program. This effort represents a meaningful and replicable step toward the routine integration of UAS-based measurements into existing operational surface networks.
This presentation will cover: (1) key lessons learned from quasi-operational flights to date, including logistical, regulatory, and meteorological challenges; (2) real-time data visualization tools developed for use in NWS forecast offices; (3) select case studies in which WxUAS profiles captured meteorologically significant features that standard surface observations missed; and (4) a roadmap for expanding the program to additional Mesonet sites and increasing flight frequency.