This Spring, Research Climate Data through NOAA

This past weekend marked the first day of Spring, when the warmer weather arrives, the rain falls, and the flowers begin to bloom. To get a sense of the type of weather your area typically sees this time of year, take a look at NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administraion. NOAA provides free access to their records of local climatological data through the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Their Local Climatological Data provides detailed reports that include minimum, maximum, and average temperatures, sunrise and sunset times, total precipitation, average wind speeds, and more.

Use the Map Tool to find a list of weather stations near your desired location. For example, for Philadelphia County, there are two local weather stations: Northeast Philadelphia Airport and Philadelphia International Airport:

Clicking on a station will provide more information about that station as well as offer options to view the station data for a specific date or date range. Use the "Add to Cart" button to download a customizable chart that can include daily and/or hourly outputs. A date range can also be selected using this option.

For a single date, use the "View Station Data" option:

This option includes a daily summary as well as hourly outputs.

So what was the weather like 50 years ago? On March 23, 1971, the Philadelphia International Airport recorded the low dry bulb temperature at 33° F, and the high at 44° F - much lower than today's forecast from the National Weather Service, which is anticipating highs in the mid-60s.

You also have the option to certify the data by clicking the "Certify This Data" button located on the report:

Have further questions? Contact NCEI's Customer Support.