A new weather station at Echo Bluff State Park in Shannon County marks the 46th station in the Missouri Mesonet, the state’s expanding weather station network. University of Missouri Extension state climatologist Zachary Leasor says the location was chosen in part to more closely monitor weather conditions in forested environments.
Located on a ridgetop within the park, the site presents unique challenges for weather monitoring. In densely forested areas, it is difficult to install weather stations that meet standards and recommendations established by weather and climate experts. But trees and their canopies create a unique microclimate where weather conditions in a forest can vary over short distances, says MU Extension state forester Hank Stelzer.
In addition to monitoring meteorological variables, the Echo Bluff station will also measure soil temperature and moisture at different depths. “These measurements will allow us to better understand how forest soil moisture is impacted by periods of wetness and dryness,” says Leasor. “Previous soil moisture monitoring efforts have been primarily focused in agricultural and grassland areas where the dynamics of plant water use and evapotranspiration are different from forests.”
The network plans to expand its forested monitoring sites in collaboration with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Hydrology Information Center. The Missouri Climate Center and Missouri Resource Assessment Partnership are researching a monitoring plan to guide the selection of new sites that fill in coverage gaps and represent Missouri’s diverse environmental characteristics.