Financial picture improves for weather network

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- The administrator of a statewide weather network says its financial picture has improved in the months since it planned to end operations in 2011 because of a loss of state funding and key personnel.

The Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network has more than 80 stations that record weather data such as rainfall, air and soil temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction. One of the sites is at the University of Georgia/Oakwood and there are others scattered around northeast Georgia.

The the University of Georgia network had planned to end operations in July 2011, but funding from an unnamed donor allowed it to keep operating.

Network administrator Donn Shilling said its budget situation is "always going to be in flux" but officials feel better about it now than a year ago. He said the network is 40 percent publicly funded and 60 percent privately funded.

(AccessNorthGa.com's Ken Stanford contributed to this story.)

Map shows location of the network's weather monitoring stations.

The Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network weather station at the University of North Georgia/Oakwood.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2013/3/259774