Satellite based remote sensing data are increasingly used for urban meteorological applications, particularly to study urban heat island impacts. However, the land surface temperature, a critical variable used to characterize the urban thermal state has never been calibrated for urbanized landcover. This will in turn escalate the uncertainties in various applications (like weather forecasting in urban areas) which use remote sensing data. This research focuses on the development and testing of an Arduino-based, GPS-enabled, non-contact passive infrared temperature sensor that provides ground-truth temperature validation of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-16, and its LST operational product. It is posited that high-resolution, multi-point, near-surface temperature information will improve LST algorithms and ultimately advance the application of satellite data to study urban climate. New York City (NYC) is used as a test site for the temperature sensor along with its geographically-respective satellite calibration points. The analysis anticipates expansion into several U.S. cities, pending preliminary evaluation and testing in NYC. GIS tools will be used to visualize data points atop geographic maps, with the intention of correlating more built-up landcover regions with temperature differences quantified by the ground-based sensor and the GOES-16 LST data. The Arduino sensor is equipped with a thermocouple to provide real-time calibration measurements on the encountered surfaces to ensure that parameters such as emissivity are captured, as well as accurate and repeatable infrared temperature readings. The enhancement of satellite information improves the well-being of the general public, which can save lives during extreme weather events such as heat waves. The research presented here intends to broaden the LST calibration network available to satellites by providing a ground-based, portable sensor framework that is implementable across cities and urban areas.