Data Resolution & Hourly Values

5-minute data is the native resolution of our network. All measurements are recorded at 5-minute intervals from the source instruments.

Hourly values are derived from the 5-minute data using completion thresholds. This means:

For averaging (mean): At least 10 observations required in the hour
For summation (precipitation): At least 12 observations required in the hour
For extremes (min/max): At least 1 observation required in the hour

If the threshold is not met, the hourly value is not calculated and reported as missing.

Parameter Descriptions

Temperature Parameters

Air Temperature: The ambient air temperature at 2 meters above the ground surface.
Dew Point Temperature: The temperature at which air becomes saturated and water vapor begins to condense. Lower values indicate drier conditions.
Heat Index: The "feels like" temperature that combines actual air temperature and humidity. Higher values indicate more oppressive heat stress.
Wind Chill: The "feels like" temperature that combines actual air temperature and wind speed. Lower values indicate increased frostbite risk.
Water Temperature: The temperature of water at the measurement location.
Soil Temperature (2 in.): The temperature of soil at 2 inches below the ground surface.

Wind Parameters

Wind Speed: The average speed of horizontal wind movement, typically measured at 3 meters above ground. Used for meteorological analysis and wind resource assessment.
Wind Gust Speed (5): The maximum wind speed measured in the preceding 5-minute interval. Indicates sudden wind events that could affect operations.
Wind Direction: The compass direction from which the wind is blowing (N, NNE, NE, etc.). Measured in degrees clockwise from north (0°).

Moisture & Pressure Parameters

Relative humidity: The ratio of actual water vapor in the air to the maximum amount air can hold at that temperature, expressed as a percentage.
Barometric Pressure: The atmospheric pressure at the measurement location. Changes indicate weather system movement and potential weather changes.
Gage Precipitation (5): Rainfall measured with a tipping bucket gauge over the preceding 5-minute interval. Raw precipitation values before hourly aggregation.

Solar & Water Parameters

Solar Radiation: The amount of solar electromagnetic radiation striking a horizontal surface. Important for agriculture, solar energy, and evapotranspiration calculations.
Depth to Water: The distance from the land surface to the water table, typically measured in groundwater monitoring wells.

Understanding the Data Tables

Completeness Column

Shows the number of valid 5-minute observations included in the daily statistics. For example, "287/288" means 287 out of 288 possible 5-minute intervals had valid data that day (288 intervals = 24 hours × 12 intervals per hour).

Unit Conversions

Temperature values from the network are converted from Kelvin to Fahrenheit. Precipitation is converted from millimeters to inches. Wind speed is converted from meters per second to miles per hour. Wind direction is converted from radians to cardinal directions (N, NNE, NE, etc.).

Aggregation Methods

Mean (avg): Average value of the 5-minute observations in the period.

Sum: Total accumulated value (used for precipitation). Represents cumulative rainfall over the hour.

Min: Lowest value observed in the period.

Max: Highest value observed in the period.

Data Quality Notes

All data displayed on this page has been screened for quality and validity. Missing or invalid measurements appear as "-" in the tables. Gaps in the data may indicate instrument malfunction, maintenance, or network issues during that period.

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