List of sites for historical data (radar, observations, analysis, soundings, etc.)

Rob H

EF5
Mar 11, 2009
825
6
0
Twin Cities, MN
If you've ever wanted to look at historical events, you've probably had some difficulty pulling together all the data you wanted. Here's a list of useful sites I've found - please post if you have any further suggestions!

NCDC Resources:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/climatedata.html - This page has links to the resources below, along with many others

http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?WWNEXRAD~Images2
Data: NEXRAD mosaic reflectivity
Data Format: Images
Range: 4/1/1995 - 2 days before present

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/nexradinv/
Data: NEXRAD individual products for Level 2 and Level 3
Data Format: Multiple
Range: 1995 - present

http://has.ncdc.noaa.gov/pls/plhas/HAS.FileAppSelect?datasetname=7000
Data: NEXRAD Level 3 full radar volumes
Data Format: Tarred and Gzipped by station and date/time
Times: Variable
Range: Variable, but typically mid-90s to 1 day behind the present
Note: This is the site you want to use for viewing archived data in GrLevel3, details can be found at http://grlevelx.com/owners/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4554

http://has.ncdc.noaa.gov/pls/plhas/HAS.FileAppSelect?datasetname=6500
Data: NEXRAD Level 2 full radar volumes
Range: 1995 - present

http://nomads.ncdc.noaa.gov/data.php?name=access#hires_weather_datasets
Data: RUC, NAM, and GFS model runs
Data Format: .inv and .grb files

http://www.class.ncdc.noaa.gov/saa/products/search?datatype_family=GVAR_IMG
Data: Archived satellite images

HPC Resources:
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/sfc_archive.shtml
Data: Surface analysis
Data Format: Images
Range: 4/2006 - present

ftp://ftp.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/coded_sfc/
Data: Surface analysis
Data Format: Text bulletins
Range: Last 2 weeks

SPC Resources:
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/
Data: Tornado, hail, and wind events
Data Format: Images and CSV
Note: To go directly to a date, use http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/YYMMDD_rpts.html and replace 'YYMMDD' with desired values

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/wcm/
Data: Tornado, hail, and wind events
Data Format: CSV
Range: 1950-2009

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/obswx/maps/
Data: Sfc/925/850/700/500/300, wind speed/wind direction/temps/dew points
Data Format: Images
Times: 00z and 12z
Range: 11/30/98 - present

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/soundings/
Data: Observed soundings
Data Format: Images
Times: Typically 00z and 12z, although special soundings will appear
Range: Last 7 days

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/events/
Data: Multiple (radar mosaic, satellite, HPC surface analysis)
Data Format: Images
Range: 1/2000 - present
Note: To go directly to a date, use http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=YYYYMMDD and replace 'YYMMDD' with desired values

Misc resources:
http://www.mmm.ucar.edu/imagearchive/
Data: Multiple types, but most importantly 1km satellite
Range: 1996 - present
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Dec 9, 2003
4,839
136
11
Oklahoma
The IEM has an EXCELLENT site to search past warnings (severe tstorm, tornado, and flash flood I think). Included are verification statistics, along with some nice miscellaneous stats such as one that reports how much of a polygon aligns with a county boundary. In addition, there are some radar images from the times of the warnings (and warning updates).

Iowa Environmental Mesonet - IEM COW -> http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/cow/

NASA also has a site on which one can view archived RUC soundings (2002, 2005-2010). See http://www-angler.larc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/satimage/sounding.cgi

Finally, Plymouth State has a nice archive system which allows you to create surface and upper-air maps from previous days (among many other things one can do). See http://vortex.plymouth.edu
 
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ELY M.

EF1
Jun 24, 2012
59
8
6
SE Minnesota
bmx3r.com
This would be useful for looking up SPC events.

examples here:

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20110427

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20120414

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20121225

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20130210

replace YYYYMMDD with exact event date you want to look up.
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=YYYYMMDD
 

calvinkaskey

Guest
Feb 17, 2014
384
31
11
Was the severe weather outbreak with those 5 tornadoes and 150 wind reports or so saved that just occurred on 2.21.14? I was specifically looking for radar in North Carolina.
 

chrisbray

EF4
Apr 24, 2012
472
128
11
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Lou Ruh

EF3
May 17, 2007
235
71
11
SE PA
Initially, I was a little confused. I chose USA East and then I could not choose Pennsylvania as a state. If I choose USA instead of USA East, Pennsylvania is there. Pennsylvania should probably be included in USA East. New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware Connecticut, and Rhode Island should also be included there.