LA PLATA, Md. — A statewide partnership between the University of Maryland, the Maryland Department of Emergency Management, and county governments will bring advanced weather-monitoring technology to Charles County, enhancing public safety and providing real-time environmental data to the community.
As part of the departmental highlights at the Charles County Board of Commissioners meeting on Jan. 28, 2025, the Department of Planning and Growth Management provided an update on the Mesonet Project, which will establish more than 70 weather stations across Maryland. Charles County will host three confirmed sites, with the potential for two additional locations.
“This is a project called the Maryland Mesonet, and it provides real-time access to weather data for our community,” said Sarah Guy, who presented the update. “These weather stations will give real-time information about what is happening in the exact areas where they’re installed, available for anyone to access online.”
The confirmed Charles County weather stations will be installed at:
- Soil Conservation District (Waldorf)
- Nanjemoy Community Center (Nanjemoy)
- Jude House (Bel Alton)
Each station will feature a 33-foot weather tower, a rain gauge, a soil moisture meter, and a solar-powered battery system. Data collected—including wind speed, lightning strikes, rainfall levels, and soil conditions—will be transmitted in real time to University of Maryland servers and made publicly available online.
“These stations provide a wealth of information not just for emergency services, but also for recreation, parks, tourism, and local farmers,” Guy said. “For example, they can help determine drought conditions, fire risks, and other environmental factors that impact our region.”
The project is fully funded by the University of Maryland and its partner, Mesonet, requiring no financial commitment from Charles County. The county’s only responsibility is to provide land for the stations and grant access for maintenance.
The Nanjemoy site is particularly significant, as it will be the only official weather-recording station in the region, which has historically lacked reliable weather data.
“That location is known for very unique weather patterns that pop up over the river,” Guy noted.
Commissioner Ralph Patterson asked if the public would have free access to the data, to which Guy confirmed, “Yes, it will all be free.”
Charles County residents will be able to monitor live weather conditions once the stations go online in February. The public can visit the Mesonet website for updates.
The Maryland Mesonet is administered by the University of Maryland’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science in partnership with the Maryland Department of Emergency Management.
More information is available at https://mesonet.umd.edu/index.html.
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