NOAA NCDC / Climate-Radar Data Inventories / Locate Station / Search / Help

Web Cliserv Help Page

Click on the following hyperlink for help on:

  • About Web Cliserv

  • Weather Station Locator Screen

  • Weather Station Quick Search Feature

  • Weather Station Summary Screen

  • Select State Screen

  • Select City Screen

  • Select Station Screen

  • Form Generator Screen (Covers WMOID, WBAN, COOPID, Call Sign searches)

  • Dataset Search Screen

  • Inventory Screen

  • Latitude/Longitude Search Screen

    • Developed by Brian J. Bero for NCDC

    About Web Cliserv

    The National Climatic Data Center is home to the world's weather data archives. These archives have been catagorized and inventoried to service your weather data requests. Web Cliserv is an Internet/Intranet application that provides you with access to our weather data inventories. You may locate these inventories by weather station or geographic location. Web Cliserv will enable you to find what data is available for the location and time period you are searching for. Follow the directions on each page and for further help, click your mouse on the "Help!" image in the top left corner of each page. Web Cliserv has been designed for maximum ease of use. You do not have to be a weather expert to locate the weather data you seek. Web Cliserv provides you with a rich set of search tools that will help guide you in the location of weather data. Web Cliserv gives you the ability to browse our various weather inventories, search for weather stations or geographic locations, or view dataset documentation. Search utilities include: ability to search for WMOID, WBAN, COOPID, and Call Sign ID's, search by station name/city, search by latitude/longitude. No matter what your weather data needs are, Web Cliserv can help you find out if that data is availble.

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    Dataset Search Screen

    This Dataset Search Screen provides a listing of available datasets, the ability to browse the different dataset inventories, view online dataset documentation, and obtain a brief description of that dataset (not available at this time). Also included is a search utility, at the top of the screen, which will allow you to enter keyword(s) to narrow down the dataset list. For example, if you want a listing of all datasets that cover "freeze" data, simple type "freeze" in the provided text box and click on the "Locate" button. Web Cliserv will then provide you with a listing of all datasets that cover "freeze" data. On the dataset list itself, click your mouse on the "INV" hyperlink to view the dataset inventories, catagorized by a list of stations the dataset has in it, or click your mouse on "DOC" to view the full online dataset documentation. Although not available at this time, in the future clicking your mouse on the "DES" will provide you with a brief summary of the dataset.

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    Inventory Screen

    After selecting your weather station and the dataset you wish to view for that station, you will be at the inventory screen. This screen gives you a summary, in table form, of what dates the data is available for. The top of the screen contains the range of dates (in years) that this dataset covers for your station. To the top right of the screen is a utility that will allow you to filter the results by a specific range of dates. For example, if your inventory screen has a range of dates from 1934 to 1996, you could limit this from 1950 to 1960 by entering that range of years in the filter boxes. After you enter the start date and end date, click your mouse on the "Filter" button and the inventory will be refreshed with the new range of years. Below the filter area is a listing of the dataset legend. Below the legend is the actual data inventories. The left hand column is the year the inventory covers. The remaining fields of the table correspond to the individual dataset holdings and are described in the dataset legend.

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    Weather Station Locator Screen


    This is the main screen from which you can select a weather station NCDC has data for. A weather station is defined as a geographic location that measures and records weather data. Various weather stations measure and record different types of weather data, it depends on the location and what the station was commissioned for. These stations have many distinct attributes. They all have an identification number(s), either Cooperative Id (COOP), World Meteorolgical Organization Id (WMO), and Weather Bureau/Army/Navy Id (WBAN) can be associated with any one station. Some have Call Sign, a three or four character identifier for a station. Also they all have a specific latitude/longitude that represents their exact location. When searching for a specific station, you can search on any of these station attributes.
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    Different Search Techniques for locating a Weather Station

    Search by ID
    Located in the left column of the screen, searches by Latitude/Longitude, Call Sign, Cooperative Id (COOP), World Meteorolgical Organization Id (WMO), and Weather Bureau/Army/Navy Id (WBAN) are available. Simply click your mouse on the id you which to search for. This will take you to the Form Generator screen.
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    Search by Geographic Location
    Located in the center of the screen is an image map of North America. If you are unsure of an id a particular station may have, click your mouse on the country the station is located in. This will take you to the State/Provence selection screen.
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    Quick Search by Weather Station Name
    Located to the bottom right of the screen is a quick search text box. If you know the name of the station, simply type in as much as you know and click on the "Locate" button. This will take you to a listing of stations that meet your entry criteria. For example, if you are searching for the Asheville Regional Airport weather station, you could enter "Asheville", "Asheville Regional", "Asheville Reg", "Ash", etc. You can be as specific or general as you want with the search. The listing of stations that meet the critieria is where you can narrow down and pick the exact location you are searching for. Here is a sample listing of the results you would get by doing a quick search on "Asheville":

    Number of matching stations found is 11
    Click on Station name to view station details.

    Station List

    Asheville (Hendersonville, )( to 99 Jan 1946)
    Asheville ()( to 99 Jan 1946)
    Asheville (Asheville, NC)(Jan 1902 to Present)
    Asheville (Asheville, NC)( to Present)
    Asheville (Asheville, NC)(Aug 1948 to Present)
    Asheville Faa Ap (Asheville, NC)(Aug 1948 to Apr 1959)
    Asheville Ncdc Trng (Asheville, NC)(Oct 1964 to Dec 1970)
    Asheville Pearson St (Asheville, NC)( to Present)
    Asheville Regionl Ap (Asheville, NC)(Sep 1964 to Present)
    (List shortened for demo purposes)

    Notice that all "Asheville" sites are included. From here you could simply click on the "Asheville Regionl Ap" to go directly to the station data.
    Now, if you entered "Ash" from the quick search box, you would get the following results:

    Number of matching stations found is 82
    Click on Station name to view station details.

    Station List

    Ash Creek (AZ)(Jul 1948 to Aug 1953)
    Ash Fork (Ash Fork, AZ)(Jul 1948 to 01 Nov 1987)
    Ash Fork (Ash Fork, AZ)(Jun 1933 to 99 Oct 1944)
    Ash Fork 12 Wnw (Ash Fork, AZ)(10 Nov 1984 to 30 Nov 1991)
    Ashboro (IN)(Mar 1892 to Dec 1895)
    Ashburn 3 Ene (Ashburn, GA)(Jan 1957 to Present)
    Ashburnham (MA)(Jun 1948 to Present)
    Ashcamp (KY)(Aug 1948 to Jun 1957)
    Ashcroft (BC)(Oct 1944 to 99 Mar 1971)
    Ashdale R S (AZ)(Jul 1948 to Jul 1948)
    Ashdown 4 Sse (Ashdown, AR)(Aug 1946 to Present)
    Asheboro 2 W (Asheboro, NC)(Aug 1948 to Present)
    Asherton (Asherton, TX)(Jul 1947 to 31 Dec 1959)
    Asheville (Hendersonville, )( to 99 Jan 1946)
    Asheville ()( to 99 Jan 1946)
    Asheville (Asheville, NC)(Jan 1902 to Present)
    Asheville (Asheville, NC)( to Present)
    Asheville (Asheville, NC)(Aug 1948 to Present)
    Asheville Faa Ap (Asheville, NC)(Aug 1948 to Apr 1959)
    Asheville/faa Airport (Asheville, NC)(Nov 1940 to Present)
    Asheville/regional Arpt (Asheville, NC)(Nov 1940 to Present)
    Ashfield (MA)(May 1968 to Present)
    Ashford (CT)(08 Mar 1991 to Present)
    Ashford (NC)(Sep 1948 to Present)
    Ashford 2 N (NC)(Sep 1973 to 31 Oct 1980)
    Ashiya (XX)(Feb 1946 to 99 Aug 1960)
    Ashland (Ashland, AL)(Jul 1948 to Present)
    Ashland (Ashland, KS)(Aug 1948 to Present)
    Ashton 2 Sw (Ashton, SD)(May 1969 to Present)
    Ashurst Hayden Dam (AZ)(Jan 1956 to Present)
    Ashville 4 W (Ashville, AL)(Jun 1948 to 31 Oct 1974)
    Ashwood (LA)(01 Jul 1895 to 31 Nov 1895)
    (List shortened for demo purposes)
    Notice that the listing includes all stations that start with "Ash", which includes the Asheville Regional Airport. Use the quick search to easily find stations that you know the name, or even some of the name for.
    From the station list screen, click your mouse on the station you wish to view and this will provide the weather station screen.

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    Weather Station Summary Screen

    This screen provides you with a "snapshot" of the weather station. On the left hand side of the screen is a listing of other weather stations located within the same city or location. To view the data on one of those stations, simply click your mouse on the station you wish to view.
    In the center/right side of the screen is a summary of your selected weather station. Notice that the station ID's (COOP,Call Sign, WBAN, and WMO) are listed in an easy to ready table format. In addition to the ID listing, you are shown the Latitude/Longitude of the station, elevation (in meters), the operation dates (earliest date opened to the whether or not it is still currently active or closed), and any notes that NCDC may have recorded for a station (often times the name of the county the station resides in). All of this vital station is quickly summarized for easy reading.
    Below the "Notes" listing is a hyperlink to the state climatologist that the station is located in. Click your mouse on the link to view their address.
    Below the "State Climatologist" link, there is another hyperlink, called "View Surrounding Stations", that provides you with a listing of weather stations within a 50 mile box around the station you are currently viewing. By clicking your mouse, you are provided with the list. For example by clicking on the "View Surrounding Stations" link from the above example screen, you are provided a list that contains the following information:

    Number of stations found is 116
    Click on Station name to view station details...

    Station List

    Altapass (NC)(Aug 1948 to Mar 1962)
    Asheville (Asheville, NC)(Jan 1902 to Present)
    Asheville (Asheville, NC)( to Present)
    Asheville (Asheville, NC)(Aug 1948 to Present)
    Asheville Faa Ap (Asheville, NC)(Aug 1948 to Apr 1959)
    Asheville Ncdc Trng (Asheville, NC)(Oct 1964 to Dec 1970)
    Asheville Pearson St (Asheville, NC)( to Present)
    Asheville Regionl Ap (Asheville, NC)(Sep 1964 to Present)
    Asheville/faa Airport (Asheville, NC)(Nov 1940 to Present)
    Asheville/regional Arpt (Asheville, NC)(Nov 1940 to Present)
    Barnardsville 2 Se (NC)(Jan 1949 to Mar 1962)
    Barnardsville 2 Se (NC)(May 1971 to Present)
    Beech (NC)(Sep 1948 to Dec 1952)
    Beetree Dam (NC)(Aug 1948 to 30 Jun 1972)
    Beetree Dam 2 (NC)(Jan 1949 to Mar 1962)
    Beetree Gap (NC)(Aug 1948 to Dec 1950)
    Bent Creek (NC)(Jan 1949 to Present)
    Big East Fork Pigeon (NC)(Jan 1949 to 01 Jul 1989)
    Biltmore 2 Se (NC)(Oct 1963 to Present)
    Black Mountain 2 W (Black Mountain, NC)(Oct 1949 to Present)
    Blantyre (NC)( to Nov 1971)
    Blantyre 2 (NC)( to Present)
    Blue Ridge Post Offi (NC)(Sep 1948 to 26 Jul 1972)
    Brevard (Brevard, NC)(Aug 1948 to Present)
    Buck Forest (NC)(Jan 1959 to 01 Jan 1992)
    Burnsville Ag (Burnsville, NC)(15 Oct 1992 to Present)
    Caesars Head (SC)(Jul 1948 to 07 Aug 1967)
    Caesars Head (SC)(Jun 1966 to Present)
    Candler 1 W (NC)(01 May 1972 to Present)
    Cane River (NC)(Jan 1949 to Mar 1962)
    Canto (NC)(Jul 1971 to Present)
    Canton 1 Sw (Canton, NC)(Aug 1948 to 01 Jun 1993)
    Cedar Mountain (Cedar Mountain, NC)(Sep 1948 to 30 Apr 1981)
    (List shortened for example purposes)

    By clicking on one of the stations in the list, you are shown the station information.
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    Form Generator Screen

    This screen is provides you with a text entry field to enter in a station ID. Depending on the choice you made from the Weather Station Locator Screen, you may enter a WMOID, COOPID, WBAN #, or Call Sign for the station you are looking for. After entering the ID, either press your "Enter" key or click your mouse on the "Locate" button underneath the entry field. The system will then search the station inventories for the station you are looking for.

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    Select State Screen

    This screen provides you with a list of states/s located within a country that you selected from the Weather Station Locator Image map. This information is contained within a list box. Simply use the scroll bars to find the state you interested in, click your mouse on that state, then click your mouse on the "Locate" button below the box. This will take you to the Select City screen.

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    Select City Screen

    This screen provides you with a list of cities located within a state that you selected from the Select State/ screen. This information is contained within a list box. Simply use the scroll bars to locate the city you are interested in, click your mouse on city to select it, and then click your mouse on the "Locate" button below the box. This will take you to the Select Station screen.

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    Select Station Screen

    This screen provides you with a list of stations located within a city. Select the station you wish to view from the list box. Click your mouse on the "Locate" button after you've made your selection and the system will take you to the "Weather Station Summary" screen where you will see the details of your selected weather station.

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    Latitude/Longitude Lookup Screen

    Enter the latitude in the text entry box, degrees then minutes (no spaces, for example latitude 35deg15min would be entered like 3515). After entering in the latitude, click your mouse on the North/South check box for which hemisphere you want. Follow the same format for entering the longitude and click your mouse on the East/West check box for the hemisphere you want.
    After entering the latitude/longitude range you are searching for, you will be provided with a listing of all the stations located within that latitude/longitude range. Click your mouse on the hyperlink of the station you wish to view. This will take you to the "Weather Station Summary" screen where you will be shown the details of the weather station you selected.

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