IPWG Ground Validation Data Links
The present page contains links to ground validation data available from various sources. Users are asked to address comments and/or alerts on new links to Bob.Kuligowski@noaa.gov, Dr. Robert KuligowskiGauge Data (United States)
- National Climate Data Center Online Climate Data Directory
Generally United States only. Includes links to 1-min and 5-min rain gauge data from the ASOS network, 15-minute precipitation, hourly and daily precipitation (both US-only and integrated with global data). Contact: Bob Kuligowski
- U.S. National Hydrologic Data System Gauge Archives
United States only--hourly and sub-hourly gauge data that supports calibration of hydrologic models by the National Weather Service. Contact: Bob Kuligowski
- Daily Gauge Analysis for the CONUS and Mexico
This is a 0.25-degree daily (12Z to 12Z) gauge analysis created via optimal interpolation of over 8000 stations. The data are served in flat (little endian) binary. Contact: Bob Kuligowski
- Plymouth State US METARs
United States only. Archive goes back to 1998. These are in standard METAR format but can also be decoded. Not recommended for mass data downloads since a GUI is used to specify the data retrieval parameters. Contact: Bob Kuligowski
- Hydrometeorological Automated Data System (HADS)
United States only. These data are available only for the last 7 days and user QC is highly recommended, particularly since stream stage data is known to end up in rain gauge files. Contact: Bob Kuligowski
Gauge Data (non-US)
- Asian Precipitation - Highly-Resolved Observational Data Integration Towards Evaluation of Water Resources (APHRODITE's Water Resources) (FREE ACCOUNT REQUIRED)
The APHRODITE dataset contains daily analysis data for Asia back to 1900 (Japan) or 1951 (Monsoon Asia, Middle East, Russia). Contact: Akyio Yatagai
- British Atmospheric Data Centre (FREE ACCOUNT REQUIRED)
The MIDAS dataset contains daily data for the UK back to 1900 and hourly data back to 1985, and also include winds, min/max air temperature, and soil temperature. Contact: Bob Kuligowski
- European Climate Assessment Dataset
Daily observations of rainfall (and other parameters) for stations throughout Europe and the Mediterranean in ASCII format. Contact: Bob Kuligowski
- Gobal Precipitation Climatology Centre Analysis
Monthly analysis at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.5 degrees lat/lon going back to 1901. Contact: Udo Schneider
- African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) (FREE ACCOUNT REQUIRED)
1-min resolution rain gauge data for the AMMA IOP (August-September 2006). Gauge data from 2005-2009 are offline. Contact: Paul Kucera
Gauge Data (Ocean)
- Prediction and Research Mored Aray in the Atlantic (PIRATA)
Atlantic only. Files are in ASCII format. As with all bouy data, extreme care must be taken and QC is highly recommended. Contact: Bob Kuligowski
- Tropical Atmosphere Ocean project (TAO)/TRITON Buoys
Pacific only, but also contains links to PIRATA and Indian RAMA data. Files are in ASCII format. The precipitation estimates require a correction for wind-induced undercatch. Contact: Matt Sapiano
- National Data Buoy Center
The NOAA portal for buoy data that includes a large range of buoys (including the TAO set). Only some buoys include precipitation measurements. Care is needed when using these observations as the measuring platforms and the gauges used vary considerably. Contact: Matt Sapiano
Gauge Data (Land Meso / Micronets)
- Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site.
ARM datasets are primarily for radiation, but they have some very high resolution rainfall data at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site (as high as 1-minute frequency) and other sites that is useful. Contact: Matt Sapiano
- Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Micronets
Two micronets in southwestern Oklahoma with data beginning in 1993 (Little Washita) and around 2000 (Fort Cobb). Note that amounts are in accumulations since 0000 UTC. Contact: Emad Habib
- ARS Goodwin Creek Micronet
North central Mississippi with data from 1981-2002. ASCII files, but measurements are taken at breakpoints (slope changes) in the precipitaiton record and thus are not regularly spaced; no way to discern zero rainfall from missing data. Accumulations since the beginning of the rain event are given (with a zero accumulation at the beginning). Contact: Emad Habib
- Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network Goodwin Creek Micronet
Daily data covering the entire state of Georgia from 2000-present. Contact: Emad Habib
- North Carolina Environment and Climate Observing Network
Covers North Carolina and surrounding regions beginning in 2004. Very recent data directly downloadable; other data requests must be made via Web and may involve a charge for very large orders. Contact: Emad Habib
- Illinois State Water Survey
Daily rainfall accumulations (ASCII) from two micronets in west Central and northeastern Illinois, one since 1989 and the other since 1992. Contact: Emad Habib
- University of Louisiana - Lafayette Network
Micronet at Lafayette, LA with 13 gauges in a 31-km^2 area covering 2004-2007. No Web access but data are readily available from developer. Contact: Emad Habib
Radar Data
- National Mosaic & Multi-sensor QPE (NMQ)
The NMQ project is a joint initiative between the National Severe Storms Laboratory, Federal Aviation Administration, National Weather Service/Office of Hydrologic Development, the Office of Climate, Water and Weather Services and the University of Oklahoma Cooperative Institute in Mesoscale Meteorological Studies.
- British Atmospheric Data Centre (FREE ACCOUNT REQUIRED)
The Nimrod dataset includes a 5-km, 15-min composite for the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. 1-km composites are also available for the UK only. Contact: Bob Kuligowski
- Stage IV Radar / Gauge Data over CONUS (recent)
CONUS only. This radar-gauge composite starts by converting radar reflectivities to rates, summing for 1 hour, and performing a mean-field bias correction for each radar umbrella by comparison with gauges. After mosaicking the radar umbrellas together, a local bias correction is applied via kriging of the composite with gauge data. Unfortunately, the Z-R relationship and gauges used in the processing are not archived, and radar artifacts can still show up in the composites. Contact: Bob Kuligowski
- Stage IV Radar / Gauge Data over CONUS (archive back to 2002)
See above.