Being a state of the art system, it is well sited, and requires no adjustments and the data is well spatially distributed by design so that it is representative of the CONUS. Here’s the current plot (click to enlarge):This is huge. Each station is rural, so there's no Urban Heat Island effect driving the temperature higher. Each station is automated, so there's no need for adjustments because readings were taken at a different time of day. All stations use modern, identical equipment so you're not comparing apples and oranges. Station siting covers the entire Continental USA, so there's no need for "gridding" and "infilling" (translation: "making data up").
Each (small) number in blue represents one of the NCDC operated U.S. Climate Reference Network stations in the CONUS that we use.
In other words, there's no need to adjust the data, ever. Given the strange warming effect of the adjustments, this is perhaps the most important thing that's happened in Climate Science since the use of Satellite monitoring of the lower troposphere. And this is ground based measurement, so it will complement the satellite data.
Well done to NOAA for this effort. Now if they'd use this data in their "State Of The Climate" report rather than the old, bad, adjusted data.
Ya know, you can get the same thing on weatherunderground - and not have to worry wether NOAA is cookin' the books.
ReplyDeleteYeah, 'hopefully' they will update their data sets, WITHOUT corrections...
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I'd want to use Weather Underground's observations to support policy decisions. Many (most?) of those points are run by volunteers with who knows what kind of equipment. My son's high school is one of their points.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Dave. The advantage of this sensor network is that all stations are well sited and have identical equipment. You don't get any guarantee of either from Weather Underground.
ReplyDeleteStill, I will have a lingering and (IMHO) well-founded distrust of any temperature data coming out of NOAA or other government agency unless we get to see all the raw data. And the sensors are subject to inspection by third parties on a random and unannounced basis. Money talks, and budgets and grants flow easily when AGW is supported by an organization. Powerful incentive to place a thumb on the scale.
ReplyDeleteSo in short, the new data shows that winter is cold, and sometimes wet.
ReplyDeleteAnd the earth cycles through hotdrywetcold year after year after year.
Who knew?