Abstract:
U.S. COOP Summary of the Month is digital data set DSI-3220, archived at the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).
It is also available online. This is meteorological data from the U.S. Cooperative Observer Network (COOP), which consists
of stations operated by state universities, state or federal agencies, and also private individuals whose stations are managed
and maintained
... by the National Weather Service (NWS). The Network includes regular NWS offices, and airports with weather
stations operated by the NWS or the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Network also includes U.S. military bases.
There are typically about 8,000 stations operating in any one year. Areal coverage includes the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S.
Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Pacific Ocean nations of Palau, Marshall Islands and Micronesia. The earliest
data is from 1867. Because the Cooperative Network's primary goal is to collect precipitation data, a small privately
operated station may observe precipitation data only. Large stations may observe several parameters. Data is organized by
month. Possible major parameters found in DSI-3220 records are: Monthly Cooling degree days Number of days with more than
0.1 in of precipitation Number of days with more than 0.5 in of precipitation Number of days with more than 0.01 in of
precipitation Number of days with more than 0.25 in of precipitation Number of days with more than 1.0 in of precipitation
Precipitation departure from monthly normal Temperature departure from monthly normal Number of days with snow depth more
than 1 in Number of days with minimum air temperature 32 degrees F or less Number of days with minimum air temperature 59
degrees F or less Number of days with maximum air temperature 70 degrees F or more Number of days with maximum air
temperature 90 degrees F or more Number of days with maximum air temperature 32 degrees F or less Number of days with
maximum air temperature 59 degrees F or less Extreme maximum daily precipitation amount in the month Extreme minimum
temperature in the month Extreme maximum temperature in the month Date of last spring occurrence of air temperature 16
degrees F or less Date of last spring occurrence of air temperature 20 degrees F or less Date of last spring occurrence
of air temperature 24 degrees F or less Date of last spring occurrence of air temperature 28 degrees F or less Date of
last spring occurrence of air temperature 32 degrees F or less Date of first autumn occurrence of air temperature 16
degrees F or less Date of first autumn occurrence of air temperature 20 degrees F or less Date of first autumn occurrence
of air temperature 24 degrees F or less Date of first autumn occurrence of air temperature 28 degrees F or less Date of
first autumn occurrence of air temperature 32 degrees F or less Monthly heating degree days Monthly mean minimum
temperature of evaporation pan water Monthly mean minimum air temperature Monthly mean maximum temperature of evaporation
pan water Monthly mean maximum air temperature Monthly mean air temperature Maximum snow depth during month Total
monthly evaporation Total monthly precipitation Total monthly snow Total monthly wind movement in miles over
evaporation pan Since 1980, parameters for U.S. state/region climatological division parameters have been available:
Divisional average total monthly precipitation (through 1981) Departure from normal monthly precipitation (through 1981)
Departure from normal monthly temperature Number of days in month with rain (from 1982) Monthly mean temperature Divisional
average total monthly precipitation Total monthly snowfall Soil data is available since 1982 for some stations. Soil
temperatures are often measured at several depths. Monthly mean minimum soil temperature temperature Highest minimum
soil temperature for the month Lowest minimum soil temperature for the month Monthly mean soil temperature at observation
time Highest soil temperature at observation time Lowest soil temperature at observation time Monthly mean maximum soil
temperature Highest maximum soil temperature for the month Lowest maximum soil temperature for the month 
