ASOS Network

The Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) is considered to be the flagship automated observing network. Located at airports, the ASOS stations provide essential observations for the National Weather Service (NWS), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Department of Defense (DOD). The primary function of the ASOS stations are to take minute-by-minute observations and generate basic weather reports.[1]

Observations from the ASOS network are nationally monitored for quality 24 hours per day. Depending on the trouble, maintenance can be performed on the same day.

Current ASOS Data:

• Sortable Current Conditions
• Combined Mesonet
• ASOS Mesonet
• Wind Chill Index
• Recent Interesting METAR Reports
• Relative Humidity

1 Minute Archive:

The National Climatic Data Center collects a 1 minute interval archive from the ASOS network. This archive is available here, but in a terrible format! The IEM has done its best to process this data and will make it available here for Iowa sites.

• Download these observations
• Daily graphs of temperature, wind, and pressure

Data is available for Des Moines, Waterloo, Dubuque, and Sioux City back to 2000. The rest of the sites since March 2005.

Quality Control:

• MADIS Raw QC Values
• Note about ASOS Precipitation Timing

Historical Data:

• Download raw observations from the archive
• Hourly Precipitation tables
• Monthly Precipitation tables
• Download computed hourly precipitation totals
• Download computed daily summaries
• IEM Climodat has monthly/yearly summaries of precipitation and temperature.

Comparisons:

(The RUC2 is an operational forecast model run by the Weather Service.)

• Generate Interactive Comparisons between two sites of your choice.
• Temperatures vs RUC2 Model
• Temperatures vs RWIS Network
• Temperatures vs SchoolNet Network
• Dew Points vs RUC2 Model
• Dew Points vs RWIS Network
• Dew Points vs SchoolNet Network
• Winds vs RUC2 Model
• Winds vs RWIS Network
• Relative Humidity vs RUC2 Model
• Pressure vs SchoolNet Network (mb)
• Pressure vs SchoolNet Network (in)

References:
1 Adapted from the ASOS User's Guide

• All Weather Precipitation Gauge install dates.