UAlbany Lauds Assembly Support for NYS Mesonet

An aerial shot of a fenced in weather station featuring a 10 meter tower and solar panels against a backdrop of a lush green field and mountains in the distance.

There is at least one standard NYS Mesonet site operated by UAlbany in every New York county. The network's 127th standard site, seen here, opened in Lake Placid in June 2024 in partnership with the Uihlein Foundation. (Photo by Patrick Dodson)

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 11, 2026) — University at Albany President Havidán Rodríguez released the following statement on the inclusion of $2 million in vital operating support for the New York State Mesonet in the New York State Assembly's budget proposal.

"On behalf of the University at Albany, we are grateful to the New York State Assembly and our representatives, Assemblymembers Romero and McDonald, for including critical funding for the New York State Mesonet in their one-house budget proposal. The NYS Mesonet provides essential real-time weather data to New York State agencies, helping to protect lives and property across the state. As a statewide resource, it is essential that the Mesonet receive stable, sustainable funding to ensure it is online and ready to help protect New Yorkers when dangerous weather strikes."

The NYS Mesonet is the nation's largest and most advanced early warning weather detection system, designed for emergency management and climate monitoring.

Built, operated and maintained by the University at Albany on behalf of New York State after Superstorm Sandy, the NYS Mesonet last year celebrated 10 years of watching the skies over New York. The Mesonet features 127 standard weather stations spaced an average of 17 miles apart and including at least one in each county. It also includes several sub-networks that monitor the amount of water in the snow pack as well as activity in the lower atmosphere using advanced sensing systems.

A Look Inside the Statewide Weather Observation Network Protecting New Yorkers

Each standard site is equipped with automated sensors that measure various weather variables in real time — such as wind speed, precipitation and soil moisture — as well as a camera that photographs current conditions. The data is collected every five minutes, feeding weather prediction models and decision-support tools that help users across New York understand things like flood risk.

Mesonet data on solar radiation and wind patterns is also important for decision-making on renewable power generation, such as where to build wind and solar generation facilities.