MnDOT will add 6 new weather stations in southern Minnesota

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) – There are two seasons in Minnesota: winter and road construction. A variety of road projects are underway across south-central and southwest Minnesota this year, but one project has caught the attention of meteorologists. Beginning June 21, six new Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) will be installed in Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Martin and Rock counties. RWIS stations can provide you with three types of road weather information: atmospheric data, road surface data, and water level data.
Atmospheric monitoring stations can read air temperature and humidity, visibility, wind speed and direction, and precipitation type and intensity. These are the most common RWIS systems in Minnesota, but according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, these systems are capable of identifying clouds, tornadoes and/or waterspouts, lightning, thunderstorm cells and tracks, and air quality.
In terms of road data, sensors can detect road temperature, road icing point, road surface conditions, and ground conditions. If there is a river or lake nearby, the system can additionally collect water level data.
Each site will also be equipped with a set of cameras to provide visual feedback on current weather conditions and current road conditions. Six new stations will allow meteorologists to monitor daily weather conditions as well as monitor hazardous weather conditions that could impact travel and life for residents in southern Minnesota.