Focus on global climate change can overlook the nuances of local weather and climate impacts. This study describes tools and methods for creating and observing weather and climatic conditions on a temporal and geographic scale that represents the environment of Nebraska. Recognition of the limited resources available for continuous application of new data and gathering of observations provides a guide for a “best practice” scientific, yet economic, model for maintaining an observational network and deriving value-added products.

Utilizing Federally maintained datasets of geographically relevant cooperative observations as a backdrop, the locally implemented and maintained weather observation network, the Nebraska Mesonet, is assessed against the official national climate records. Strategies for increasing the relevance and reliability of the Nebraska Mesonet observed parameters that show inconsistencies are discussed. Quality control techniques are tested and evaluated to provide confidence in the recorded observations, with recommendations made to mitigate and limit errant data from entering an official Nebraska Mesonet record.