Variables Measured at Montana Mesonet Stations
Below is a list of all variables measured at Montana Mesonet stations. Variables measured and the measurement interval differs between the AgriMet and HydroMet. AgriMet stations take a reading every 10 seconds, these readings are averaged (or totalled for precipitation) in the 15-minute data that is reported by the MCO. The HydroMet stations take readings every 3 seconds, with the readings being averaged (or totalled for precipitation) in the 5-minute data that is reported by the MCO (except for precipitation, soil data, and snow depth, which are read every 1, 5, and 5 minutes, respectively). To see exactly which variables are measured at a given station, visit the elements endpoint of our API for a given station (e.g. https://mesonet.climate.umt.edu/api/elements/acebozem)
| Variable | Description | Reported Units |
|---|---|---|
| Air Temperature | The average temperature over the reporting period at 2 meters above the ground (for the HydroMet; 2.44 meters for the AgriMet) | degF |
| Atmospheric Pressure | The average atmospheric pressure over the reporting perod measured at the station | millibar |
| Precipitation | The total precipitation recorded since the last report | inches |
| Precipitation Max Rate | The maximum rate of precipitation since the last report | inches hr^-1 |
| Relative Humidity | The average relative humidity of the air over the reporting period | % |
| Soil Bulk EC | The electrical conductivity of the soil at a given depth | mS cm^-1 |
| Soil VWC | The volumetric water content of the soil at a given depth | % |
| Soil Temperature | The temperature of the soil at a given depth | degF |
| Snow Depth | The depth of the snow on the ground | inches |
| Solar Radiation | The average incoming solar radiation over the reporting period. | W m^-2 |
| Well Water Level | The depth of the water level in the groundwater well | inches |
| Well EC | The electrical conductivity of the groundwater well. | mS cm^-1 |
| Wind Gust Speed | The maximum wind speed observed over a reporting interval | mi hr^-1 |
| Wind Speed | The average wind speed since the last report | mi hr^-1 |
| Wind Direction | The average wind direction since the last report | arcdeg |