If you’ve watched a weather forecast from a regional news station lately, you most likely are seeing data from a new addition to one of our school campuses. Recently, representatives from Western Kentucky University, the Kentucky Mesonet, the state legislature, local emergency services, and the National Weather Service gathered alongside district leadership and CFI Principal Kate Ray to officially cut the ribbon on Kentucky Mesonet Site #86, hosted at the Laurel County Public Schools Center for Innovation (CFI).
The newly established weather monitoring station represents a major step forward for local safety, environmental tracking, community growth, and hands-on STEM education in Laurel County.
During the ceremony, leaders highlighted how Site #86 will deliver real-time, high-precision weather data to benefit the entire region. Dr. Jerry Brotzge, Mesonet Director, State Climatologist, and Head of the Kentucky Climate Center, emphasized how the new site will help tell Laurel County’s history as it records heat and cold, wind, floods, and drought information, providing critical data for long-term climate monitoring. Dr. David Brown, Dean of the Ogden College of Science & Engineering at Western Kentucky University (WKU), spoke about the impact the data can have on economic development as Laurel County serves as a crossroads for many transportation and commerce industries, who can use the data to make safer and more efficient operational decisions.
Local emergency response and accurate real-time forecasting were discussed as Jerry Rains, Head of Emergency Management for Laurel and Whitley Counties, addressed the station's vital role in local hazard mitigation, public safety, and severe weather response. Adding to the emphasis on preparedness, Dustin Jordan, Meteorologist-in-Charge at the U.S. National Weather Service in Jackson, Kentucky, detailed how localized observation points improve forecasting accuracy and ensure timely warnings during critical weather events.
Beyond its public safety and economic benefits, the Mesonet Site #86 offers students at the Laurel County School Center for Innovation campus access to an active, multidisciplinary STEM laboratory across its career and technical pathways. Engineering and Industrial Maintenance students will study the station's sensor mechanics, remote telemetry, and backup power systems, while Media Arts students could produce live broadcast weather reports. Additionally, Biomedical Science classes will utilize real-time readings to study heat stress safety and environmental health triggers, Navy JROTC cadets will factor local meteorological data into tactical planning, and students in the future teachers pathway will design hands-on K–8 STEM curricula using live, local weather trends. The Mesonet site will present unique, vibrant learning opportunities for students.
WKYT meteorologists were in attendance and reported from the new Mesonet site; watch the news story.
About the Kentucky Mesonet
The Kentucky Mesonet is the Commonwealth’s official source for real-time weather and climate data. Operated by the Kentucky Climate Center at Western Kentucky University, the network consists of automated environmental monitoring stations across the state, providing high-quality data to enhance public safety, support economic development, and advance education.