Pacific Southwest Research Station

Kings River Experimental Watershed

METEOROLOGY

It is crucial that KREW have access to data that represent the seasonal variation in air temperature, solar radiation, and precipitation at or very near the watershed locations. Variation in climate can be linked to nearly every question that an ecosystem-level study such as KREW may pose. Therefore, four permanent meteorology stations were installed on the KREW study sites: one station at the top and one at the bottom of each site of watersheds (Providence Site and Bull Site). The different locations represent the range of elevations that encompass each watershed and can be used to interpolate data taken over the topographic gradient.

The following variables are measured at each of the meteorology stations: wind direction,wind speed, relative humidity, temperature, solar radiation, precipitation, snow depth, and snow water equivalence. Measurements are recorded by a data logger every 15 minutes, with 24-hour averages. Data are downloaded regularly from the office in Fresno, using telemetry, and checked monthly in the field with analog measurements. For specifics concerning the location and instrumentation of meteorology stations, see the online map section and the KREW Study Plan (Hunsaker et al. 2004).