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COOPERATIVE CORNER
THE COOP PROGRAM
The Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) consists of volunteer weather observers who take and record weather observations every day. The data from these COOP sites help to fill in data voids where automated weather stations at airports don't exist. Across the United States and its territories, over 12,000 COOP volunteers take daily weather readings every day. The mission of the COOP Program is two-fold:
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To provide observational meteorological data, usually consisting of daily maximum and minimum temperatures, snowfall, and 24-hour precipitation totals, required to define the climate of the United States and to help measure long-term climate changes.
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To provide observational meteorological data in near real-time to support forecast, warning and other public service programs of the NWS.
Data from these COOP sites are processed and published in various forms by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) in Asheville, North Carolina. In fact, the data sent in by local COOP observers is one of the most requested products from the NCDC archives! The data is used by thousands of people and organizations including government agencies, lawyer and insurance groups, medical fields, construction crews, engineers, farmers and agriculture, transportation, real estate, and many more! A few ways that the National Weather Service uses the COOP data is:
- Daily weather forecasting
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- Maintain historical records and normals
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- Extreme weather events (severe and winter weather, heat waves, cold snaps, etc)
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- Verify severe and winter weather events
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- Climate study and climate change
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The National Weather Service office in Fort Worth has over 140+ COOP sites; the second most for any NWS office in the Southern Region. These sites are located at private residences, businesses, and lakes across north Texas. All of the sites in north Texas record precipitation and over half of them also report temperature.
HISTORY OF THE COOP PROGRAM
The history of taking weather observations dates all the way back to the colonial days. The earliest known records are those of John Campanius Holm who took weather observations in the mid-1600s. After him, weather records by famous people such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin have also been found and archived. Thomas Jefferson recorded an unbroken weather record from 1776 until 1816, and George Washington took observations until just days before he died.
However, it was Thomas Jefferson who first envisioned a network of weather observers. He managed to recruit volunteer weather observers in six states including Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York and North Carolina. In 1849, the Smithsonian Institute set up a system for receiving weather data from telegraph companies, via the telegraph, and used the data to produce weather charts. At the time, there were 150 volunteers sending in their weather observations.
The Weather Bureau (now the National Weather Service) was created under the Organic Act in 1890 and the COOP program was soon transferred into their responsibility. By then, the number of weather observers had grown to around 2,000 stations. However, it wasn't until 1953 that the push was made to expand the network across the country. Dr. Helmut Landsberg conducted a study with Iowa State University and came to the conclusion that an observation site was needed every 25 miles. This is the system that the National Weather Service uses today. By 1990, the number of observers had grown to 10,000 stations, and today there are over 12,000 COOP stations.
RESOURCES, GUIDES, AND INFORMATION
 Requesting Supplies
COOP Climate Data
- Daily COOP Report - A table of daily observations reported by our COOP Observers. This table is generated and sent every day
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- NCDC COOP Page - Link to COOP records at the National Climatic Data Center
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- Regional COOP Records, Normals, and Extremes - Select your location on the map below for monthly normals of temperature, precipitation and degree days. You will also see the monthly and annual rainfall for each site for many years. Selecting either DFW or Waco will provide extensive climatological data.
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WxCoder
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- WxCoder Tips - Tips for using the system and filling out your form each month
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IV-ROCS
Forms
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- How to correctly fill in your form (including tips): B-91 B-92
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Fischer-Porter
Snow
Severe Weather Reporting
CONTACT US!
3401 Northern Cross Blvd
Fort Worth, TX 76137
(817) 429-2631
sr-fwd.webmaster@noaa.gov
Select a location on the map below or from the menu beneath it. You will find monthly and annual normals as well as archived precipitation totals. Selecting either DFW or Waco will provide extensive climatological data.
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