04/13/2026
The University of South Alabama is using a $3 million award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve weather prediction across the state.
The funding, secured by U. S. Senator Katie Britt, will allow for expansion of the South Alabama Mesonet, a ground-based weather monitoring system, from 26 to 46 stations, connecting areas previously covered only by satellite. The first station in the expansion project was just installed today at HMMA.
"I am tremendously excited about the installation of our first weather station of the Mesonet Expansion project,” said Dr. Sytske Kimball, professor of meteorology at USA. “I would like to thank Hyundai for their willingness to work with us to identify a suitable site and to also provide sponsorship for continued operation and maintenance of their weather station.”
“Safety and preparedness are closely connected,” said HMMA’s Chief Safety Officer Stephen Tunnell. “By providing the location for this University of South Alabama Mesonet weather station, we’re not only strengthening our ability to respond proactively to severe weather but helping advance weather science that we hope will help save lives and property in communities through the state of Alabama.”
The stations collect 24 atmospheric and soil parameters every minute, including temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, precipitation, soil temperature and moisture. The information is used by a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, aviation, energy and forestry. The data are integrated into weather models and can help the National Weather Service issue more accurate severe weather and tornado alerts.
