How much rain fell over the weekend? What was the temperature over the last few weeks? Tables of daily weather observations can answer these common questions.
Where do these data come from?
Daily summaries of past weather by location come from the Global Historical Climatology Network daily (GHCNd) database and are accessed through the Climate Data Online (CDO) interface, both of which are managed and maintained by NOAA NCEI.
GHCNd includes daily observations from automated and human-facilitated weather stations across the United States and around the world. Observations can include weather variables such as maximum and minimum temperatures, total precipitation, snowfall, and depth of snow on ground. However, not all stations record all variables; about half the stations only report precipitation. Searching by zip code will yield no results if there is no weather station within that zip code, but you can easily expand your search to a city or county.
If you have further questions or comments about the GHCN data or the Climate Data Online interface, you can send an email to NOAA NCEI at ncei.orders@noaa.gov or call them at 1-828-271-4800.
What can I do with these data?
- Check records of past weather: explore how hot or cold it got through the week, how much rain or snow/sleet/hail fell, and how deep any snow was on the ground.
- Check what the weather was like on specific dates in history: did a snowstorm affect voter turnout on an election day? What was the weather on dates that are important to you?
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How do I use the site?
NOTE: You may want to print these instructions so you can read them while you perform each step in another browser tab.
Go to the Climate Data Online Search page (opens in a new tab)
- Under Select Weather Observation Type/Dataset, select Daily Summaries.
- Under Select Data Range, click the calendar icon and select dates on the Start and End calendars to reflect your dates of interest. Then click APPLY.
- Under the Search for dropdown, select ZIP codes
- Enter the ZIP code of interest as the Search term, and then click Search.
Your search results show up in the left column with a map of your ZIP code on the right.
- Click the orange ADD TO CART button in the left column (these data are free).
- Place your cursor over the Cart button in the upper right. Click the orange VIEW ALL ITEMS button to go to the Select Cart Options page..
On the Select Cart Options page, continue with the default selections. Scroll to the bottom and click CONTINUE.
On the Review Order page, enter your email address (twice) and click SUBMIT ORDER. You can also find Help links on this page.
The REQUEST SUBMITTED page offers further information
The action will now move to your email inbox. First, you'll receive a notice that the request has been submitted. Usually, just a few minutes later, you'll receive an email stating that your order has been processed. The second email contains a link for you to download the data you requested, in a multi-page data table. Check all pages to see the full range of data.
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Data Format(s)TXT (ASCII), CSV, PDF
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Documentation Type Link & Description General General Articles -
Data TypeLand-based stationEssential Climate VariablesAir temperature,Science OrganizationNOAA NCEIData StewardGlobal Historical Climatology Network daily (GHCNd)Emailncei.orders@noaa.gov
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