Montgomery County Expands Weather and Flood Detection Networks to Strengthen Storm Preparedness – Mocofeed

County and University of Maryland officials highlight first locally funded Mesonet weather station in Laytonsville

Montgomery County announced the activation of the first locally funded extension of the Maryland Mesonet, advancing the County’s ability to monitor and respond to extreme weather. With support from the County’s Climate Change Officer, Sarah Kogel-Smucker, and financial assistance from the County’s Climate Change Planning Non-Departmental Account, additional weather stations in key urban and suburban locations will be added in Gaithersburg, Germantown, and Chevy Chase/Silver Spring.  

The first station in Laytonsville was installed at the Oaks Landfill and went live on Sept. 2, with the remaining stations expected to come online by the end of the year. An additional flood sensor will also be placed in Laytonsville to support first responders in detecting rising flood waters at low water crossings. 

“Climate change has made it critical that we focus on resiliency,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “The Mesonet stations are an important network of automated weather stations that seek to fill gaps and help us prepare for storms that may affect targeted areas of the community. We appreciate the partnership with the University of Maryland to continue to build this early warning system.” 

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Mesonet stations are solar-powered and measure air and soil temperature, humidity, soil moisture, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, and other environmental factors that are not always detectable by traditional federal weather observation tools. These real-time observations provide emergency managers with earlier lead times for warnings about severe weather. In events such as tornadoes or flash floods, even a few extra minutes can save lives and reduce property damage. Soil temperature readings can also help predict the onset of snow and ice accumulation. 

“Early warnings generated by the Maryland Mesonet System will help us better prepare for the extreme weather events we are seeing with greater frequency as a result of climate change,” said Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) Director Luke Hodgson. “Together with the 40 flood sensors we have now installed across the County, these systems will help protect our residents from some of the most dangerous weather-related hazards we face in the region.” 

Once installed, data from all stations will be available to the public, first responders, and the National Weather Service at mesonet.umd.edu.  The stations will help OEMHS meet weather and climate-tracking goals set in the County’s Climate Action Plan.   

“These additional stations will significantly increase surface weather observations in Montgomery County,” said OEMHS Emergency Management Specialist Matt Mizorko. “Upon completion of this extension of the Mesonet program, 95% of County residents and businesses will be within seven miles of a station. We will have continuous, community-level weather data in the County to help with proactive decision making.” 

University of Maryland leaders see short- and long-term benefits in the Mesonet system. 

“As our datasets continue to grow, we will be able to provide an increasingly detailed and granular picture of climatological conditions, the changing climate footprint, and seasonal extremes across Montgomery County,” said University of Maryland Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Chair and Director of the Maryland Mesonet Dr. Sumant Nigam. “Our department also operates the Office of the Maryland State Climatologist, bringing deep expertise to this work. More immediately, these stations will provide emergency management and homeland security personnel with critical, real-time information on extreme weather events, including flooding and windstorms, to support disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.”