A new mesonet weather station is now online and streaming real-time environmental data from Laytonsville, according to the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
The station is Maryland’s 49th and the fourth operating in Montgomery County, joining stations in Layhill, Poolesville and Potomac. It also marks the first locally funded expansion of Maryland’s statewide mesonet network.
Three additional stations are scheduled to be installed this fall in Germantown, Gaithersburg and the Chevy Chase/Silver Spring area. Once those stations are operating, approximately 95% of Montgomery County residents and businesses will be within seven miles of a station.
Mesonet stations are solar-powered and collect real-time measurements of air and soil temperatures, humidity, soil moisture, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, precipitation and other environmental conditions.
According to county officials, the localized data can improve warning times for severe weather conditions that may not be detected by traditional federal observation systems. Even a few additional minutes of warning during tornadoes and flash floods can help protect residents and property. Soil-temperature readings can also help officials determine when snow and ice are likely to accumulate on roads and other surfaces.
Data collected by the stations will be available to the public, first responders and the National Weather Service. Statewide and individual station data can be viewed through the Maryland Mesonet website.
