NWS Twin Cities Home Page » Cooperative Weather Observer Program

Cooperative Weather Observers

The National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) is truly the Nation's weather and climate observing network of, by and for the people. More than 11,000 volunteers take observations on farms, in urban and suburban areas, National Parks, seashores, and mountaintops.  The data are truly representative of where people live, work and play.

Volunteer weather observers conscientiously contribute their time so that observations can provide the vital information needed. These data are invaluable in learning more about the floods, droughts, heat and cold waves affecting us all. The data are also used in agricultural planning and assessment, engineering, environmental-impact assessment, utilities planning, and litigation. COOP data plays a critical role in efforts to recognize and evaluate the extent of human impacts on climate from local to global scales.

Each dot on this map represents the location of a COOP Observer in the Twin Cities/Chanhassen, MN County Warning Area (CWA).  Click on the map to display a full resolution version.

Cooperative Observers across Southern Minnesota and  Western Wisconsin


Station Histories for our Cooperative Observer Locations

Recent Coop Observer Awards

Submit a Daily Weather Report Through WxCoder

Request Additional Coop Observer Forms

Additional Cooperative Observers are Needed

National Cooperative Observer Web Page

Instructional Materials for Coop Observers

Weather Instruments Used by the Coop Observers

Latest Daily Reports from our Cooperative Observers (maps)

National Climatic Data Center (where observations are archived)


  • National Weather Service
  • Twin Cities, MN Weather Forecast Office
  • 1733 Lake Drive West
  • Chanhassen, MN 55317-8581
  • 952-361-6670
  • Page Author: MPX Webmaster
  • Web Master's E-mail: w-mpx.webmaster@noaa.gov
  • Page last modified: 20-Jan-2006 9:40 PM UTC
USA.gov is the U.S. government's official web portal to all federal, state and local government web resources and services.