University of Maryland Mesoterps

Mesoterps is UMD’s very own campus environmental monitoring network, designed and run by students. We set up weather stations across College Park to collect real-time data on temperature, humidity, wind, rainfall, and more. By putting stations on rooftops and in open spaces, we’re able to see how the weather changes across campus from one spot to another.

At its heart, Mesoterps is about learning through experience. Students don’t just read about weather instruments; we install them, program the Raspberry Pis that run them, and design the tools to share the data. Along the way, students gain real-world skills in coding, instrumentation, teamwork, and problem-solving.

The data is also used outside the classroom. UMD Facilities Management and the Office of Emergency Management rely on Mesoterps observations to monitor conditions on campus and support their daily operations. This makes the network both an educational tool and a practical resource for the university.