After several years of fruitless searches for a good location, the Ballard Mesonet Station is finally up and running.  On May 13, 2022, officials from State Government and Local Government met at the site just south of Bandana, Ky to hold a grand opening.  The search for a location started 8 years ago when Ballard ANR Agent Tom Miller and Rick Shanklin from Barkley Weather Service toured Ballard County looking for suitable locations.  Nothing was found that suited all the location criteria.  Five years ago, Stuart Foster, former Ky Mesonet Director came and looked at several locations with Tom Miller.  No success.  The next year Foster returned to look at 5 locations and a couple were possibilities than an off hand comment from one of the land owners led to the current location.

Working with the Ballard County Ag Development Council, a proposal was developed using Ballard County Ag Development funds to help fund the initial cost of the station and then working with the Ballard County Farm Bureau, Ballard County Conservation District, Ballard County Fiscal Court and the Ballard County Ag Development Council, a program was developed to fund the long term upkeep.  The weather station is already supplying much needed weather data to help augment the data from the Barkley Weather Center in Mc Cracken County.