Digital Datasets

General Information

1. The periods of record for these datasets vary considerably depending on data type and station (if applicable).
   
   
2. All reference to QC pertains strictly to data checking and corrections performed within the Federal Climate Complex by NCDC and/or AFCCC. Other gross QC is usually performed at the point of origin such as NCEP and AFWA.
   
   
3. The media available are: CDROM, diskette, and FTP transfer. These options vary depending on the database. Some of the data are online as noted/linked below.
   
   
4. Cost to customer varies depending on data volume and the processing required to fill the order.
   
   
5. This is only a summary of the major digital datasets available from NCDC. Other datasets/data types (in addition to those listed below) are available. Contact NCDC's Climate Services Branch for further information.
   
   
6. NCDC has numerous datasets and data inventories on-line through its web system. NCDC makes frequent updates to this system, so users are encouraged to review it periodically to see what's available.
   
   
7. Glossary of acronyms:
   AFWA -- Air Force Weather Agency
   ASOS -- Automated Surface Observing System
   AFCCC -- Air Force Combat Climatology Center
   DS -- Dataset
   ECMWF -- European Center For Medium-range Weather Forecasts
   GTS -- Global Telecommunications System
   MRF -- Medium Range Forecast Model
   NCEP -- National Centers for Environmental Prediction
   NGM -- Nested Grid Model
   NREL -- National Renewable Energy Laboratory
   NWS -- National Weather Service
   POR -- Period of Record
   QC -- Quality Control
   
   
8. Points of contact for information, cost estimates, and data requests:
   
   National Climatic Data Center
   Climate Services Branch
   151 Patton Avenue
   Asheville, NC 28801
   Telephone: 828-271-4800
   Fax: 828-271-4876
   Internet: ncdc.orders@noaa.gov
   
   
9. For mailing checks:
   
   NOAA National Data Centers
   Commerce/NOAA/NNDC
   c/o Information Manufacturing Corp./IMC
   Attn: Fiscal Dept.
   310 State Route 956, Building 300
   Rocket Center, WV 26726-9229
   
   

Surface Data

DATABASE: Worldwide surface observations (hourly/synoptic). Includes 3 datasets - DS3505, DS3280, and DS9956.

• DS3505--Integrated Surface Hourly (ISH)--worldwide stations

  
  
  • Data Type: ASCII character data
    
  • Quality Control: Extensive automated QC (all data); additional manual QC for USAF, Navy, and NWS stations.
    
  • Data Origin: An integration of all data from DS9956, DS3280, and DS3240 (each described below), comprising all stations available historically in DS9956 and DS3280.
    
  • Content / Elements:
    
    • - About 10,000 stations currently active.
      - Includes wind speed and direction, wind gust, temperature, dew point, cloud data, sea level pressure, altimeter setting, station pressure, present weather, visibility, precipitation amounts for various time periods, snow depth, and various other elements as observed by each station.
      - Observational practices vary by country.
      
  • Period of Record: 1900 to present (varies greatly by station)
    
  • Online: Inventory and Period of record data.
    
  • Note: - See documentation for further details.
    - Subset of the dataset is available on CDROM and DVD for 1995-2004.
    
  
  

• DS3280--Navy and first order National Weather Service (NWS) stations

  
  
  • Data Type: ASCII character data
    
  • Quality Control: Undergoes extensive automated and manual QC.
    
  • Data Origin: Mainly from ASOS-direct ingest, diskettes from the stations, and keyed data for NWS stations; and from DS9956 (see below) for Navy stations.
    
  • Content / Elements:
    
    • - About 380 stations currently active.
      
    • - Includes most surface elements observed in the U.S. (wind speed and direction, temperature, dew point, cloud data, sea level pressure, altimeter setting, station pressure, present weather, and visibility). Wind gust, precipitation amount, and snow depth are not included, but are placed in DS3210 (see below).
      - "Specials" are not included and only synoptic hours (every 3rd hour) are included for 1965-1981 (for most stations).
      
  • Period of Record: 1948 to present
    
  • Online: Inventory only.
    
  • Note: - See documentation for further details.
    
    • - Subsets of the dataset are available on CDROM for 1961-1990 and 1990-1995 .
      
  
  

• DS9956--AFCCC DATSAV3 Surface--worldwide stations

  
  
  • Data Type: ASCII character data
    
  • Quality Control: Extensive automated QC (all data); manual QC for USAF stations.
    
  • Data Origin: Mainly from GTS, various other sources, and keyed data prior to 1973.
    
  • Content / Elements:
    
    • - About 10,000 stations currently active.
      
    • - Includes all surface elements observed internationally (see DS3280), along with wind gust, precipitation amount, snow depth, and other elements as reported by each station. Also includes "Specials."
      - Observational practices vary by country.
      
  • Period of Record: 1973 to present with some data from 1900 to present
    
  • Online: Inventory only.
    
  • Note: - See documentation for further details.
    
    • - NCDC produces online summary of day data (1 record per day) from this dataset--18 elements summarized as available.
      

Ships/Buoy Data

DATABASE: Worldwide ship and buoy observations (hourly/synoptic)--DS1129 and DS1171

• Data Type: ASCII character data
  
• Quality Control: Undergoes automated + some manual QC.
  
• Data Origin: Data originate from GTS + some key entered data.
  
• Content / Elements:
  
  • -Includes elements observed by ships and buoys--temperature and dew point, wind direction and speed, visibility, present weather, sea level pressure, sea surface temperature, cloud data, ice data, and wave/swell heights and periods.
    - Generally, buoys only observe temperature, wind, pressure, sea surface temperature, and wave/swell data; while some ship reports include other elements. Elements vary considerably by station.
    
• Period of Record: As early as 1800's to present
  
• Note: - See documentation for further details.
  

Upper-Air Data

DATABASE: Worldwide Uper-Air Observations--DS6305 (Comprehensice Aerological Reference Data Set)

• Data Type: ASCII character data
  
• Quality Control: Undergoes some automated QC.
  
• Data Origin: Various sources including diskettes from the stations (U.S. + some Mexican), key entered data, digital data from source countries, and GTS
  
• Content / Elements:
  
  • - Includes all elements observed in upper air soundings--generally temperature, dew point, wind direction and speed, and height of each pressure level.
    
  • - About 1000 stations currently active.
    
• Period of Record: Generally 1946 to present
  
• Online: Inventory only
  
• Note: - See documentation for further details.
  - Also have North American data for 1946-1997 on 4-volume CDROM set.
  

Temperature/Precipitation Data

DATABASE: Cooperative station summary of day data for the U.S.--DS3200

• Data Type: ASCII character data
  
• Quality Control: Undergoes automated and manual quality control.
  
• Data Origin: Various sources including key-entry from forms and ASOS
  
• Content / Elements:
  
  • - Includes summary of day parameters such as maximum/minimum temperatures, precipitation, and snowfall/snow depth. Some stations have additional data such as evaporation and soil temperature.
    
  • - About 8000 stations currently active.
    
• Period of Record: Generally 1948 to present (some late 1800's to present)
  
• Online: Full period of record data
  
• Notes: - See documentation for further details.
  - Also have the entire dataset for 1948-2004 on a CDROM set.
  

DATABASE: Summary of day data for National Weather Service (U.S.) and Department of Defense (U.S. and foreign) sites--DS3210 and DS9953 (AFCCC's DSF34)

• Data Type: ASCII character data
  
• Quality Control: Both datasets are QC'ed (automated + manual).
  
• Data Origin: Various sources including ASOS, diskettes from stations, and key-entry
  
• Content / Elements:
  
  • - Includes maximum/minimum temperatures, precipitation, snow depth, peak wind gust, sunshine, days with various weather phenomenon, and several other elements for selected stations.
    
  • - About 600 stations currently active.
    
• Period of Record: Generally 1940's to present with some data as old as the late 1800's
  
• Online: Full period of record data for DS3210
  
• Notes:See documentation for further details.
  

DATABASE: Monthly summary data for NWS and cooperative U.S. stations--DS3220

• Data Type: ASCII character data
  
• Quality Control: Undergoes automated and manual quality control.
  
• Data Origin: Monthly summaries built from NWS and cooperative daily data as described above.
  
• Content / Elements:
  
  • - Includes temperature (mean minimum, mean maximum, overall mean, extreme minimum, extreme maximum), precipitation amount, and for selected stations-- snowfall, evaporation data, and soil temperature data.
    
  • - About 8000 stations currently active.
    
• Period of Record: Generally 1948 to present (some late 1800's to present)
  
• Online: Full period of record data
  
• Notes: See documentation for further details.
  

DATABASE: Hourly precipitation data for NWS and cooperative U.S. stations--DS3240

• Data Type: ASCII character data
  
• Quality Control: Undergoes automated and manual quality control.
  
• Data Origin: Various sources including ASOS and punched tape from stations
  
• Content / Elements:
  
  • - Hour-by-hour precipitation amounts
    
  • - About 2800 stations currently active.
    
• Period of Record: Generally 1948 to present
  
• Online: Full period of record data.
  
• Notes: - See documentation for further details.
  - Data are also available on a CDROM set.
  

DATABASE: 15-Minute precipitation data for NWS and cooperative U.S. stations--DS3260

• Data Type: ASCII character data
  
• Quality Control: Undergoes automated and manual quality control.
  
• Data Origin: Various sources including ASOS and punched tape from stations
  
• Content / Elements:
  
  • - Precipitation amounts for 15-minute increments
    
  • - About 2400 stations currently active.
    
• Period of Record: Generally 1971 to present
  
• Online: Full period of record data.
  
• Notes: - See documentation for further details.
  

Other Data

DATABASE: Hourly solar radiation and meteorological data for the U.S., Guam, and Puerto Rico--DS3282

• Data Type: ASCII character data
  
• Quality Control: Underwent extensive QC of data.
  
• Data Origin: Originated from 3 sources--NWS hourly surface data, NWS summary of day data, and NREL solar radiation data.
  
• Content / Elements:
  
  • - Includes 5 solar radiation elements + 15 meteorological elements with both observational and modeled data.
    
  • - 239 stations
    
• Period of Record: 1961 to 1990
  
• Notes: - See documentation for further details.
  - Data are also available on a 3-volume CDROM set.
  

DATABASE: Worldwide gridded upper-air analysis (multiple pressure levels)

Includes:

• DS6140 (NGM and MRF data)--

  • Data Type: Binary data
    
  • Quality Control: No quality control performed.
    
  • Data Origin: Data originate from NCEP's model output.
    
  • Content / Elements:
    
    • - NGM: Covers U.S., southern Canada, and nearby coastal waters. 180 km by 180 km polar stereographic grid. Includes temperature, specific humidity, vertical velocity, and u/v wind components from about 980 mb to 434 mb + 11 variables for the surface. 12 analysis hours/day.
      
    • - MRF: Worldwide coverage. 2.5 degree by 2.5 degree grid. Includes temperature, relative humidity, vertical velocity, geopotential, and u/v wind components from 1000 mb to 50 mb + 3 variables for the surface. 4 analysis hours/day.
      
  • Period of Record: 1991 to present
    
  • Online: NOMADS
  • Notes: - See documentation for further details. Model changes have occurred over time.
    

• DS6141 (ETA and FNL data)--

  • Data Type: Binary data
    
  • Quality Control: No quality control performed.
    
  • Data Origin: Data originate from NCEP's model output.
    
  • Content / Elements:
    
    • - ETA: Covers U.S., southern Canada, and nearby coastal waters. 80 km by 80 km Lambert Conformal grid. Includes pressure, temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, relative humidity, u/v wind components, snow/rain occurrence, latent heat flux, sensible heat flux, momentum flux, low cloud cover, medium cloud cover, high cloud cover, total cloud cover, radiation flux, geopotential height, and vertical velocity. 22 pressure levels from surface to 50 mb. 8 analysis hours per day.
      
    • - FNL:Worldwide coverage. 129 by 129 polar stereographic grid. Includes pressure, temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, relative humidity, u/v wind components, latent heat flux, sensible heat flux, momentum flux, total cloud cover, radiation flux, geopotential height, and vertical velocity. 14 pressure levels from surface to 20 mb. 4 analysis hours/day.
      
  • Period of Record: 1997 to present
    
  • Online: NOMADS
  • Notes: - See documentation for further details. Model changes have occurred over time.
    

DATABASE: Worldwide gridded cloud analysis--DS9951 (AFCCC's RTNEPH)

• Data Type: Binary data
  
• Quality Control: Undergoes automated QC of data.
  
• Data Origin: Data originate from AFWA's model output.
  
• Content / Elements:
  
  • - 8 analysis hours/day
    
  • - On polar stereographic grid (eighth-mesh--roughly 40 km by 40 km resolution)
    
  • - On 2.5 degree by 2.5 degree grid
    
  • - Includes cloud layer data (base, top, type, and amount) and total cloud amount from surface reports and satellite data, along with present weather and visibility from surface reports.
    
• Period of Record: 1984 to present
  
• Notes: See documentation for further details.
  

DATABASE: Global aircraft reports--DS6380

• Data Type: ASCII character data
  
• Quality Control: Undergoes automated QC.
  
• Data Origin: Data originate from PIREPS, AIREPS, ASDAR, and ACARS reports.
  
• Content / Elements:
  
  • - Includes pressure altitude, temperature, relative humidity, dew point, wind direction and speed, clouds, and turbulence.
    
• Period of Record: Generally 1973 to 1998
  
• Notes: See documentation for further details.
  

DATABASE: ASOS 1-minute and 5-minute data--DS6401-6406

• Data Type: ASCII character data
  
• Quality Control: Undergoes automated QC.
  
• Data Origin: Data originate from ASOS ingest process.
  
• Content / Elements:
  
  • - Includes most surface elements observed in the U.S. (wind speed and direction, temperature, dew point, cloud data, sea level pressure, altimeter setting, station pressure, present weather, visibility, precipitation amount, etc).
    
  • - About 900 stations currently active.
    
• Period of Record: Generally 1998 to present
  
• Notes: See documentation for further details.
  

DATABASE: NOAAPORT data

• Data Type: ASCII character and binary data
  
• Quality Control: No quality control performed.
  
• Data Origin: Data originate from NOAAPORT ingest.
  
• Content / Elements:
  
  • - Includes all surface, upper-air, forecast, warning, and other bulletins received via NOAAPORT.
    
  • - Includes all NCEP model data as binary files, such as the ETA, AVN, and MRF.
    
• Period of Record: Late 2000 to present
  
• Notes: These are the "raw" data as received from NCEP and NWS.
  

DATABASE: Remote-sensing data. Satellite (worldwide), wind profiler (central U.S.), NEXRAD radar data (U.S. sites)

• Data Type: Binary data
  
• Quality Control: Little or no quality control performed.
  
• Data Origin: Data originate from the sensor (satellite, profiler, radar).
  
• Content / Elements:
  
  • - Satellite data are available in several datasets from NCDC's Satellite Services Group.
    
  • - Profiler data are available from 1991 to present.
    
  • - NEXRAD data are available as level II and level III.
    
• Period of Record: Varies depending on the dataset and station
  
• Online: Satellite data, and Radar data.
  
• Notes: Request database documentation for further details.
  

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Last Updated Wednesday, 01-Mar-2006 13:05:57 EST by Mark.Lackey@noaa.gov
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