A high-tech weather station has been installed at Clymer Central School District, thanks to the efforts of the State University of New York at Albany’s Atmospheric Sciences Research Center and the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences.

The mesonet, or weather station, will observe and collect data on the area surrounding it approximately every five minutes, said Dr. Christopher Thorncroft, co-director of the New York State Mesonet project and SUNY Albany Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences chair.

Mesonet is made up of two parts, “Meso” and “net.” Meso refers to the scale of weather, and the net refers to a network, Thorncroft said.

“The purpose of the network is to protect life and property,” he said. “New York state is one of the most vulnerable state economically to weather. Businesses lose or make money based on the weather.”

He said another positive impact of the mesonet will be the ability to share weather data with the school, and bring in an education component.

“I’m actually excited about the link to the school,” Thorncroft said, adding there are many opportunities for STEM education this station will provide. “Weather is a great vehicle for getting students interested in science. It incites a lot of excitement.”

Aside from the local benefits, the state will also benefit from the station on the whole, he added.

The New York Mesonet project will offer a more complete look at weather in New York State, including in Clymer, Thorncroft said.

Thorncroft said every station is a 30-foot tower and will measure a variety of factors and provide weather information for that area. The station also has a camera that shows a feed on the Mesonet network website, www.mysmesonet.org/mesonow.

After choosing Clymer from a drop-down menu, viewers can view real-time weather from Clymer.

Readings such as soil temperature, a weather forecast for the area, humidity, dew point and more, the weather information available is enormously valuable, Thorncroft said.

“Seventeen of these sites, including Clymer, are going to be enhance sites with additional devices,” he said. “We will be able to know how the weather is evolving. These stations will see a cold front moving in real time.”

Thorncroft said New York state will be leading the way in technology for the mesonet. Additionally, by the end of the year, all 125 sites should be up and running, he said.

“It’s been two years in the works,” Thorncroft said, adding his colleague, Everette Joseph, director of the atmospheric sciences research center, was also a part of the project. “We were part of the long-term planning session with the university, and I actually suggested it. It’s just one of those things that would benefit the state.”

He said he is glad to have had a hand in the implementation and success of the program.

“I feel very proud to be part of a project that will be so useful for the society,” Thorncroft said. “There’s no doubt the state will benefit from this network.”

For more information on the Clymer site, the network and more, visit www.nysmesonet.org.