Using Hourly Observed Data Web Services: A Climatology of Wind Chill and Heat Index in the Continental United States

The Midwestern Regional Climate Center, in partnership with the Western Regional Climate Center, created the Climate Data Access Portal (Cli-DAP) in 2016 for enhanced online access to hourly-observed data from ASOS/AWOS stations and other hourly-observed data station networks. This enhanced access facilitated the creation of value-added climatologies of wind chill and heat index for stations in the continental United States. Monthly, annual and long-term average values were calculated for more than 300 stations at five heat index and 14 wind chill thresholds for hours, days and days with at least three hours above/below a threshold. In this poster, the methodology for station selection and quality control of data will be discussed. Maps and tools showing long-term averages will also be presented. The usefulness of these data in decision making for municipalities, schools and outdoor industries will also be considered. Finally, future tool and data considerations, such as record values, will be examined.