AgWeatherNet (AWN) provides access to current and historical weather data from Washington State University's automated weather station network along with a range of models and decision aids. The weather data, advisories, weather data products and decision support systems provided by AgWeatherNet and WSU can help improve production and product quality, optimize resource use and reduce environmental impact. Since the installation of the first station in 1988, the network has undergone significant expansion in western Washington as well as in the dry land regions of the state. Standard AWN weather variables include air temperature, relative humidity, dew point temperature, soil temperature at 8 inches, rainfall, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation and leaf wetness. Some stations also measure atmospheric pressure. These variables are recorded every 5 seconds and summarized every 15 minutes by a data logger. The monitoring stations are comprised of Campbell Scientific CR-1000 data loggers and a complement of sensors from different manufacturers. The data loggers are powered by a battery that is recharged through a solar panel during the daytime. Communications are handled through cell phone data telemetry and the internet. Following data processing the weather data are disseminated via the web site weather.wsu.edu. The weather data and associated tools that are provided on the web site are updated continuously. The AWN network is administered and managed by the AgWeatherNet team located at the WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser, WA. However, AgWeatherNet is programmatically linked to the research, extension and instruction efforts conducted by all departments and research and extension centers of the College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences of WSU.
