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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE, KY
945 AM EDT FRI JUL 17 2026 /845 AM CDT FRI JUL 17 2026/
..ENDING FRANKFORT KY ASOS AS OFFICIAL NWS CLIMATE SITE
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (NWS) IS ANNOUNCING THE OFFICIAL
RETIREMENT OF THE FRANKFORT, KY AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM
(ASOS) AS A DESIGNATED CLIMATE SITE. THIS DECISION FOLLOWS A
PROLONGED OUTAGE AND UPCOMING EQUIPMENT TRANSITIONS THAT PREVENT
THE STATION FROM MEETING STRICT FEDERAL CLIMATE RECORDING
STANDARDS.
THE FRANKFORT ASOS STATION HAS BEEN OFFLINE SINCE LATE
JUNE 2025 DUE TO UNRESOLVED POWER SUPPLY ISSUES, IN WHICH KENTUCKY
MESONET DATA HAVE BEEN USED AS SUPPLEMENTAL DATA TO NWS CLIMATE
PRODUCTS. THE SITE IS ALSO SCHEDULED TO TRANSITION TO AN AUTOMATED
WEATHER OBSERVING SYSTEM (AWOS) BY THE SUMMER OF 2027: AWOS
CONFIGURATIONS TYPICALLY DO NOT MEET THE RIGOROUS SENSOR,
REPORTING, AND MAINTENANCE CRITERIA REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN AN
UNINTERRUPTED, HIGH-PRECISION OFFICIAL NWS CLIMATE RECORD.
FURTHERMORE, THE POWER SUPPLY ISSUES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE
RESOLVED PRIOR TO EQUIPMENT TRANSITION FROM ASOS TO AWOS.
WHILE THE UPCOMING AWOS INSTALLATION WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE
CRITICAL, REAL-TIME AVIATION WEATHER DATA FOR PILOTS AND LOCAL
AIRPORT OPERATIONS, IT CANNOT SERVE AS A DIRECT REPLACEMENT FOR
OFFICIAL NWS CLIMATE ARCHIVING.
TO ENSURE LOCAL METEOROLOGISTS, RESEARCHERS, AND THE PUBLIC
RETAIN ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY WEATHER TRACKING, THE NWS HIGHLIGHTS
THE KENTUCKY MESONET SITE LOCATED IN FRANKLIN COUNTY. THE
KENTUCKY MESONET — A STATEWIDE NETWORK OF AUTOMATED WEATHER
MONITORING STATIONS DEVELOPED BY WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY —
OPERATES A ROBUST, RESEARCH-GRADE SITE IN THE COUNTY. THIS LOCAL
MESONET STATION IS FULLY EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE MUCH OF THE SAME
HIGH-QUALITY METEOROLOGICAL DATA HISTORICALLY GENERATED BY THE
FRANKFORT ASOS, INCLUDING TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, WIND SPEED,
AND HUMIDITY.
REAL-TIME LOCAL OBSERVATIONS FOR AVIATION AND PUBLIC SAFETY WILL
RESUME AT THE AIRPORT ONCE THE NEW AWOS SYSTEM IS FULLY
COMMISSIONED AND ONLINE. FOR DAILY WEATHER TRACKING, HISTORICAL
COMPARISONS, AND AGRICULTURAL OR EMERGENCY PLANNING, THE NWS
ENCOURAGES STAKEHOLDERS TO UTILIZE THE FRANKLIN COUNTY KENTUCKY
MESONET DATA.
THE NWS EXTENDS ITS GRATITUDE TO THE LOCAL TECHNICIANS, AIRPORT
PARTNERS, AND THE KENTUCKY MESONET TEAM FOR THEIR ONGOING
COLLABORATION IN KEEPING KENTUCKIANS INFORMED OF LOCAL WEATHER
CONDITIONS.
CG
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