Retrieves variable metadata from the Kansas Mesonet REST variables page and returns a tidy table of available variables, including their CSV headings, original variable names, cleaned variable names, units, and descriptions.
Value
A tibble with one row per Kansas Mesonet variable and the columns:
- csv_heading
The variable heading used in Mesonet CSV output.
- var
The original variable name from the Mesonet metadata.
- tidy_name
A cleaned, snake_case version of
var.- units
The measurement units for the variable.
- desc
A description of the variable.
Details
![[Experimental]](figures/lifecycle-experimental.svg)
The function downloads the Kansas Mesonet variables page, extracts the embedded
JavaScript metadata array, parses variable fields, and standardizes variable
names into tidy_name. Kansas Mesonet data are preliminary and subject to
revision. Cite the Kansas Mesonet when sharing, publishing, or otherwise
disseminating data accessed with this function. A suggested citation format
is: Kansas Mesonet, year: webpage title. Accessed date, webpage URL. Review
the Kansas Mesonet data usage policy before automated use; automated page
scraping or data ingesting without written consent is not permitted.
References
Kansas Mesonet data usage policy: https://mesonet.k-state.edu/about/usage/