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ND Agricultural Weather Network (NDON) cited for farm decision tools and local road management
Summary
Committee members were briefed on NDON (North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network), its 200+ automated stations, free public tools and uses ranging from pesticide timing to pinpointing localized road closures in the Bakken region.
Lawmakers heard that the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDON) provides weather data and applications used by farmers, ranchers, counties and the energy sector.
Greg Lardy, speaking for NDSU, described NDON as “a North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network. So it's a mesonet of about, over 200 weather stations, across the state of North Dakota,” automated to collect hourly data. He told the committee the network supports tools that help farmers plan fungicide and pesticide applications and that the network “is free.”
Members described practical uses in agriculture and road maintenance. Representative Brandenburg noted the network’s value to spraying certification and pesticide timing. Representatives and staff detailed an application in the Bakken oil region: mesonet stations let county road managers target closures to specific mile markers instead of shutting an entire county road when storms are localized, reducing disruption and maintenance costs.
Lardy also said the agency upgraded NDON’s website and analytics with legislative appropriations, hired analysts for Endon (the mesonet unit) and is integrating drone and imagery data into plant‑breeding programs. The committee inquired about funding sources; Lardy said NDON receives federal grants for some upgrades (including Upper Missouri Basin snowpack sensors) and that state or private partners occasionally provide support. He offered to provide a funding breakdown on request.
Ending: Committee members praised the network’s public-facing tools and asked staff to provide additional detail on funding sources and potential private partnerships for future upgrades.
