To view crop evapotranspiration data: Irrigation Management Assistant
Daily crop water use data (also known as evapotranspiration) is a crucial piece of information that irrigators need to efficiently manage water. Weather station information is required to precisely estimate water use of the growing crop.
Weather Data Collected and Uses
Through a partnership with the North Dakota Ag Weather Network (NDAWN), the MDA's weather stations are now integrated into the NDAWN crop modeling, air temperature inversion, potato blight, and mapping applications. In addition, weather information from the stations is now available in real-time (5 minute interval) via the NDAWN website and mobile application. The mobile application is called "NDAWN Inversion" and provides basic real-time weather information and air temperature inversion alerts. It is free to download at both the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android).There are now 38 NDAWN and MDA weather stations in Central and northwestern Minnesota. The MDA installed and manages 14, while NDAWN has installed and manages 24.
| Weather data collected | Other information available |
|---|---|
|
|
Expanding Access to Local Weather Data
The MDA partnered with the East Otter Tail Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Wadena SWCD, Pope County SWCD, Benton County SWCD and Dakota County SWCD to install weather stations across central Minnesota. The weather stations are placed in agricultural settings with the intent to provide data for agricultural producers and those involved with atmospheric research in this environment.
In 2023, the MDA received $3 million from the Clean Water Fund to expand the weather station network to agricultural areas statewide. The initial expansion of approximately 40 additional weather stations will occur in cooperation with several partners over the next two to three years.
Given the climatic variability across Minnesota, accurate and detailed local weather data within 20 miles of most agricultural areas is a goal of the project. Approximately 80 stations may be necessary to achieve this goal. The full expansion of the Minnesota Ag Weather Network (MAWN) will be completed in two phases.
Planned Expansion
The map below highlights the targeted expansion area. Final weather station locations are to be determined based on weather station siting criteria. If you are interested in hosting a weather station on your land, please complete the Minnesota Ag Weather Station Host Application. If you have any questions please reach out to Stefan Bischof at Stefan.Bischof@state.mn.us or 218-396-0720.
