About the ACON Dashboard
The Alabama Climate Observing Network (ACON) dashboard brings together eight independently operated weather and soil-monitoring networks across Alabama into a single, unified interface. Rather than checking eight different agency portals — each with its own map, format, and update cadence — users can view current conditions, explore historical time series, and compare data across networks side by side, all in one place.
The dashboard directly supports the Alabama Office of the State Climatologist's work in drought monitoring and climate assessment, and it is built and maintained by the University of Alabama in Huntsville's Earth System Science Center. Beyond that, it serves a range of practical uses: fire managers checking soil moisture before a prescribed burn, forecasters cross-referencing station data during severe weather, researchers pulling historical records, and agricultural or water-resource planners tracking drought conditions in near real time.
ACON was supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under Award NA22NWS4320003, through the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH).
ASOS — Automated Surface Observing System
A joint program of the National Weather Service, the FAA, and the Department of Defense. ASOS stations are located primarily at airports and form the backbone of the national surface weather observing network, supporting both aviation safety and public forecasting.
CRN — U.S. Climate Reference Network
Operated by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information in partnership with NOAA's Air Resources Laboratory. CRN stations are sited in pristine, protected locations specifically to detect long-term climate change signals with the highest achievable data quality.
SCAN — Soil Climate Analysis Network
Operated by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), National Water and Climate Center. SCAN stations focus on agricultural areas and measure soil moisture and temperature at multiple depths alongside standard weather variables.
COOP — NWS Cooperative Observer Program
The nation's oldest and largest weather network, run by the National Weather Service since 1890. Thousands of trained volunteers take daily temperature and precipitation readings across the country, forming the backbone of the long-term U.S. climate record.
Auburn Mesonet
Operated by Auburn University through the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, with data delivery provided by AWIS Weather Services. It is part of the NOAA-funded National Mesonet Program.
RAWS — Remote Automated Weather Stations
An interagency network run jointly by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, coordinated through the National Interagency Fire Center. RAWS stations are purpose-built for wildfire danger monitoring in remote, fire-prone areas.
CoCoRaHS — Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network
A nonprofit, citizen-science network that began at Colorado State University's Colorado Climate Center in 1998. Volunteer observers take daily manual precipitation measurements from their own properties.
STEMMNet — Soil Temperature, Environment, and Moisture Monitoring Network
Alabama's own network, designed and built in-house at UAH to bolster drought and wildfire-risk assessment with rapidly-deployable, low-cost soil moisture and temperature sensors, developed in collaboration with the Alabama Forestry Commission and several NWS forecast offices.
STEMMNet does not have a separate public data portal — this dashboard is its primary public access point.