Resources for Researching Past Weather

Sources of Information:

United States: (Climate Diagnostics Center). Contains data from 1895.

United States: (National Climatic Data Center). Contains monthly mean temperature and precipitation data that dates back to 1900: Time-Series trend data can be found here. The statistical climate information can be found here.

Monthly/Seasonal Climate Composites: (Climate Diagnostics Center). Allows one to generate maps that go back to 1948.

Monthly/Seasonal Climate Time Series (ESRL): Main Page and Select Variables ***

Image and Map Archives: Surface maps for 1871-Present.

Image and Map Archives: (Unisys Weather). Contains surface maps, infrared satellite images, and upper air charts from January 1996 onward.

Image and Map Archives: (Plymouth State Collection). Allows one to generate maps that go back as far as 1953.

3-Hourly Reanalysis: (Penn State University). January 1979 to the present.

6-Hourly Reanalysis: (Climate Diagnostics Center). Allows one to generate maps for 6-hour periods (0z, 6z, 12z, 18z) from 1948 to near the present.

Climate Correlations: (Climate Diagnostics Center). Generally correlations data from 1948 to the present. Tables for Monthly Correlations (Earth System Research Laboratory)

Climate Time Series: NOAA ESRL (ENSO, SOI, Other Indices 18th-21st centuries) ***

Daily Mean Composites: (Climate Diagnostics Center and Beta Site). 1991-2010 Means. Allows one to generate daily maps from 1948 to near the present. FTP Site for Adding Custom Data Files.

20th Century Reanalysis: (Monthly, Daily Composites and 3/6 Hours). January 1871 to December 2010.

Global Circulation & Anomalies (Operational Data): ESRL

Surface and Upper Air Maps: (NOAA NSSL). Maps that go back as far as 1933.

Climate Indices: (Climate Diagnostics Center). A large number of monthly climate indices.

Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO): NOAA ESRL (1856-present)

Hurricane/Tropical Storm Archives: Hurricane History section of the Hurricane/Tropical Weather Resources page.

Northern Hemisphere Snow Coverage: (Rutgers University). Contains monthly and weekly data from November 1966 to the present (Downloads): Weekly Table and Monthly Table.

Monthly Snow Data: (Climate Prediction Center). From 1973 to the present.

Monthly Snow Data: (NOAA). Maps from 1886 to the present.

Snow and Ice Resources: (NOAA). Daily, monthly, and snow cover maps.

Precipitation Analysis: (National Weather Service). Data for up to 1 year.

ENSO Phase: (Climate Prediction Center). Contains a chart for seasonal data from 1950 to the present. Reconstructed general data from 1868 through 1998 (Florida State University).

ENSO SST Indices for ENSO Regions: (Climate Prediction Center). Contains a monthly chart for data from 1982 to the present. A weekly chart is also available.

ENSO SST Anomalies (Select Data): (UCAR) TNI, R 1+2, and R 3.4. Contains data from 1871-Present. Reconstructed (From 1300 to near present). Historic ENSO Anomalies (hadISST) from 1870-Present: Regions 1+2, 3, 3.4, and 4 (ESRL)

Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO): (Climate Prediction Center). Contains data and a table from 1978 to the present. Also CPC Products.

Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO): (Australia Bureau of Meteorology). Latest phase and real-time data.

Monthly Atmospheric, ENSO, and SST Indices: (Climate Prediction Center). Contains a wide range of historical data.

Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI): (Climate Diagnostics Center). Contains graphs and a table comparing ENSO phases from 1950 to the present and a historic table that goes back to 1871.

Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) Index: (Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and the Ocean). NOAA Environmental Research Division (JISAO Methodology for normalized PDO). From 1950 to the present. NCEI (Direct Data Link) (from 1854-present).

Paleoclimatology: (NOAA). Contains a range of paleoclimate resources and data.

Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) Index: (Climate Diagnostics Center). Contains data for the QBO from 1948 to the present.

Sea Surface Temperatures: (NOMADS). Contains global sea surface temperature readings from 1854 to the present.

Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies: (Long Paddock). Contains global sea surface temperature anomalies from 1982 to the present. ESRL Plotting Tool (SSTA maps from 1856-Present) and ESRL Plotting Tool (SST maps from 1854-Present) ***

Solar Flux Data: (Climate Diagnostics Center). Contains data from 1948 to the present.

Southern Oscillation Index (SOI): (Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology). Contains monthly SOI data from 1876 to the present (table and graph).

Standardized Northern Hemisphere Teleconnection Indices: (Climate Prediction Center). Contains the NAO, EA, EPO, WPO, PNA, and more in a table dating from 1950 to the present. Daily charts from July 1979 onward are also available. NAO from 1865 to Near Present.

Reconstructed Daily AO Index: (1871-2010)

Reconstructed NAO Index: (1500-2001).

AAO, AO, NAO, and PNA: Daily text

...1950-present: Daily Historical Text

EPO Daily Anomalies: PSL (1948-present)

WPO Daily Anomalies: PSL (1948-present)