Climate Data Stewardship - Data Collection
Progress through observing network enhancements and compliance with climate monitoring principles.
Improvements in Data Collection
- Training
- Data continuity
- Policy for assigning station numbers when a site is relocated
- Use of backup site data at ASOS LCDs
- Estimating missing data
- Electronic data collection for the climate record
- Use of snow measurement boards for snow measurements
- Rain gauge upgrade at ASOS FAA LCDs
Climate data continuity principles require network operators to conduct a series of parallel observations between old and replacement equipment when network changes (e.g., replacing sensors, moving stations, environmental change, etc.) are introduced that could cause artificial discontinuities. This includes conducting tests for COOP, ASOS, and the upper air networks. Compliance with this policy allows NOAA and other data users to correct for artificially-induced apparent climate changes. Doing so ultimately allows more accurate analyses of climate change and variability.
|
|
Another significant policy change was related to COOP station relocation. Existing policy allowed stations to retain their identification number for moves within 100 vertical feet and/or 5 horizontal miles of the original location. The problem with this practice was that analyses clearly showed that for most relocations within these distances, the climate record from the new site was significantly different than the original site. Allowing the station to retain its identification number misleads the unwary user. This increases the risk of analysts coming to incorrect conclusions regarding climate analysis at that location. The new policy places the burden on retention of a station identification number on a rigorous demonstration of data continuity regardless of horizontal and vertical distance changes involved in the relocation.
|
|
Inconsistencies related to the use of backup data when primary precipitation data were unavailable introduced discrepancies in the precipitation record of ASOS LCD stations. NWS now requires NOAA-published LCD ASOS sites to use backup site data only when the primary ASOS instrumentation is either not functioning or when, in the judgment of the WFO staff, the primary ASOS report is spurious (NWS 2006)
|
|
Backup electrical power has been installed for 152 hurricane-prone LCDs within 300 miles of the coastline.
|
|
NWS also addressed the problem of estimating missing data. Without a policy in place estimation methods varied from office to office and even among staff within offices, and were often not documented. New policy now instructs NWS WFOs not to estimate missing data (NWS, 2006). Estimations are left to the discretion of NCDC systems and personnel. The result is an improved climate record with traceable, standardized estimated missing data values.
|
Our cooperative observers have now been supplied PVC snow measurement boards. The new boards replace the home-made white-painted plywood boards the observers have constructed themselves. The PVC are long-lasting and the surface is much easier for observers to clean and maintain.
|
The rain gauges at the FAA ASOS sites have been replaced with new All-Weather Precipitation Accumulation Gauges (AWPAG) to improve the accuracy of the liquid water measurement during frozen precipitation events.
|
The COOP data “paperless” initiative capitalizes on existing NWS regionally-developed telephone and web-based PC systems to create a national data collection system. The COOP observer uses either system to submit data and the observations populate the same database. The system employs redundant backup. Benefits of the electronic collection systems include greatly enhanced on-site data quality control and improved data quality, automated electronic data collection for NWS forecast applications, daily data availability, and electronic transmission to NCDC for greatly improved timely data quality control and data availability. This improvement will result in thousands of additional COOP stations’ data being available on a daily basis.
|
|
"Assessing the past, predicting the future and delivering a local perspective on global climate today."
Our Vision
An engaged, responsive NWS that delivers state-of-the-art, timely, and reliable climate information and decision support services to help the Nation address environmental impacts.
Our Mission
To ensure NWS has the capacity to develop and deliver reliable climate services integrated with weather and water information through user engagement, policy development, data stewardship, incorporation of research into operations, training, education, and outreach in collaboration with partners.
|
weather.gov 
