By Anthony Watts, Watts Up with That?”

Anthony’s slideshow on the station siting issues can be found here.

With 33% of the USHCN weather station network now surveyed, the site quality rating is now applied. The rating system for site quality was borrowed verbatim from the new Climate Reference Network being put into operation by NCDC and NOAA to ensure quality data. Their siting criteria can be found here.

I welcome input on this work in progress. The site rating will now be a running total in the spreadsheet and always available online as new stations are added to the survey. What is important to note is that the majority of stations that have a rating of 4 are MMTS/Nimbus equipped stations, which according to NCDC’s MMS equipment lists, make up 71% of the USHCN network. It appears that cable issues with the electronic sensors have forced them closer to buildings, roads, etc because NOAA COOP managers don’t often have the budget, time, or tools to trench under roads, sidewalks etc to reach the site where Stevenson Screens once stood. While this isn’t always the case, a pattern is emerging. 

See larger image here. See Watt’s full blog and site here.

Steve Mcintyre has done a plot of the best versus the worst sited temperatures here.

See larger image here.