Accurate relationships between climate and infectious disease are most likely dependent upon local scale parameters that have not been related to regional climate data. As part of our goal of understanding the dynamics of West Nile transmission cycles, we investigated local scale parameters for Culex and Aedes vectors of West Nile virus in New York State. We conducted both laboratory and field-based assessments of immature mosquito development and created preliminary models using local scale parameters. In addition, we developed models for adult mosquito populations. The inputs of this model included temperature, humidity and rainfall. Moreover, we used a genetic algorithms approach, to optimize the functions involved in the model, such as development rate, mortality rate and fecundity. These optimizations minimize the error between the simulation and light trap data and allow accurate prediction of mosquito capture in several sites. These data will be presented in light of the role of climate on West Nile vector development and virus transmission.