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GOVERNOR HOCHUL ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALBANY’S MESONET CLIMATOLOGY PORTAL AS PART OF CLIMATE WEEK 

$2 Million in State Investment Supports NYS Mesonet Operations to Expand Access to Data for Meteorologists and Emergency Managers

New Public Portal Provides Detailed Look at New York Weather Patterns Using a Decade of Mesonet Data

In recognition of Climate Week, Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the New York State Mesonet at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany has launched a public climatology website that offers the most detailed look yet at how New York’s climate is changing.

Built in response to Superstorm Sandy, the NYS Mesonet is one of the largest and most technologically advanced weather warning networks in the nation, and its operations are supported this year with $2 million in state funding. Every day, emergency managers across the state use the Mesonet to help protect New Yorkers from extreme weather — deadly flash flooding, unhealthy wildfire smoke and intense Lake Effect Snow — increasingly associated with climate change.

The trove of weather data the Mesonet produced over the last decade represents the first milestone in a 30-year project to better understand how climate change is impacting New York. In the process, it is strengthening New York’s nation-leading efforts to adapt to climate change and decarbonize our economy through applications like better forecasting of future renewable power generation from wind and solar.

“During Climate Week, as the federal government divests from critical climate research, New York State is reaffirming its commitment to science and innovation that helps us understand the challenges we face, keep New Yorkers safe and prepare our communities for the future,” Governor Hochul said. ”The New York State Mesonet at the State University of New York at Albany’s climatology website is going to lead the way on groundbreaking research to strengthen understanding of our climate and climate change so meteorologists, emergency managers, and policy makers can ensure New York is the most prepared state in the nation.”

Collected every five minutes, the data feeds weather prediction models and decision-support tools for users across New York, and is widely relied upon by forecasting, emergency management and transportation agencies — including the National Weather Service and the New York State Weather Risk Communication Center, a partnership between the State University of New York at Albany and the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services that ensures New York’s public sector has the weather intelligence it needs to act.

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Terry O’Leary said, “The impacts of climate change continue to be felt across New York State with extreme weather events becoming more frequent and intense. Thanks to Governor Hochul’s investments in emergency management staff and training, weather forecasting through the Mesonet, and new communication tools at the State Weather Risk Communication Center, our state is more prepared and ready than ever before to meet these challenges head on to keep New Yorkers safe. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the experts at UAlbany to better understand New York’s changing climate and help us make the best decisions during future extreme weather events.”