A Spatial Approach to Determining the Optimum Density of the National Weather Service Cooperative Observers Network

ABSTRACT

The National Weather Service (NWS) oversees the National Cooperative Observer (COOP) Network consisting of more than 11,600 reporting stations. The purpose of this network is to collect and provide climatological information to the nation on daily maximum and minimum temperature and precipitation accumulation. Some locations report additional climatological parameters. Over the past several years this network has been impacted by organizational and budgetary constraints. This comes at a time when demand for COOP Network data is at an all time high. In response, the NWS and National Climatic Data Center asked the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services (OFCM) to assist in coordinating an interdepartmental Joint Action Group for the Cooperative Observer Network Modernization (JAG/COOP MOD). The JAG’s objective is to identify actions necessary to the modernization of the COOP network. A key element of this modernization is a clear understanding of the future size, distribution, and data composition requirements of the COOP network. Realizing the existing station distribution is based on an outdated study, the JAG determined the density of the “planned network” needed to be re-evaluated. A composite of grid overlays, with specific user-defined filtering criteria will be used in conjunction with modern Geographical Information Systems (GIS) techniques to determine future network density requirements. This technique is based on defined user need and application of COOP data. This paper describes the technique used to define the network’s optimum density.