On Monday, WKU’s weather observation network, White Squirrel Weather, announced the beginning of new partnerships with Maker’s Mark and Jim Beam.

With this partnership, the network also announced the launch of eight new weather stations, all of which are on the Bourbon Trail. Three of the stations will be at Maker’s Mark locations and five will be at Jim Beam locations. This raises the total count to 15 stations. 

“We are very excited to announce a new partnership with multi-billion dollar bourbon industry leaders, Jim Beam-Suntory and Maker’s Mark to do weather monitoring, prediction, and research,” said Josh Durkee, director of White Squirrel Weather and associate professor of meteorology in a Facebook post.

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New stations are also coming soon to Alabama and Tennessee, Durkee said. These weather stations are hyperlocal and include wind speed and direction sensors, as well as an HD sky camera.

Weather has a growing impact on the way bourbon gets processed, which is the reason behind the placement of the new stations along the Bourbon Trail.

Kentucky is the leading producer of bourbon due to its mild climate, meaning hot summers and mild winters. White Squirrel Weather has 15 of its 16 weather stations located in Kentucky. 

News reporter Cassady Lamb can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @lambp0p.