The Radiometrics Boundary Layer Network (BLN) provides continuous real-time atmospheric data as part of the National Mesonet Program. This network of 17 wind and thermodynamic profilers includes sites in California, Colorado, Maryland, Oklahoma Idaho, Iowa, and Nebraska. Key parameters measured by the network include boundary layer wind, temperature, humidity, and liquid profiles.
The BLN provides unique insight into the initiation of convective storms, which is one of the priorities of the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), and is an important resource for modelers, forecasters, researchers and climate scientists. Data from the network will help meet the expanding needs of the renewable energy and clean-tech sectors and other industries by providing more detailed atmospheric information to improve forecasts used by the nation’s solar plants, wind farms, and electric utilities. Additional applications include aviation, air quality monitoring, and water management, where greater forecast accuracy and precision are required.
Currently, boundary layer observations are primarily made using radiosondes, commercial aircraft soundings, radar and a small number of tall towers. However, the spatial and temporal resolution of these observations are limited and do not meet the growing data requirements for improved forecasts at local scales. The BLN is a unique resource to provide a more accurate description of the vertical structure and stability of the complex boundary layer.