Howard County's second Maryland Mesonet weather monitoring station is now online at the Lisbon Volunteer Fire Company, joining the first location in Clarksville. These sites will collect, transmit, & archive real-time weather data to improve weather forecasts, provide timely warnings of severe weather to the public and decision-makers. The Maryland Mesonet project, a collaboration between the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) and the University of Maryland (UMD), will become a state-of-the-art network of approximately 70 meteorological stations. Each station is spaced about 10 miles apart, will rapidly sample a variety of atmospheric and soil conditions, and transmit data every minute.

The Maryland Mesonet will support various sectors, such as agriculture, education, utilities, transportation, forest/wildfire management, and soil monitoring. By providing real-time weather data, these stations will facilitate better planning and response to weather-related events, ultimately contributing to the resilience and safety of our communities. Lisbon Volunteer Fire Department has played a key role in this installation, and the program is grateful for the support of the volunteer fire service. For more information about the Maryland Mesonet project and to access real-time weather data across Maryland, please visit: https://mesonet.umd.edu/.