NOAA Profiler Network Dataset
Overview
Description
Wind profilers are Doppler radars used to measure vertical profiles of atmospheric winds directly above the profiler site. Typical operation of a wind profiler results in a vertical stack of winds every hour from near the earth's surface to above the tropopause.
The MADIS profiler dataset consists of hourly winds from the NOAA Profiler Network, a quasi-operational network of wind profilers located in the Central United States and Alaska. As of Fiscal Year 2014 the Central United States wind profilers were no longer supported. We do however have data starting on July 1, 2001 for the Central United States.
The combination of tight economic conditions and wind profiler system obsolescence, in addition to the limited geographic scope of the NPN, led NOAA to recommend discontinuing the use of the Wind Profiler Network in a report to Congress in May 2013.
Subsequently, the Fiscal Year 2014 Presidential Budget Request and the FY14 Omnibus Appropriations Act (PL 113-76) eliminated funding for the NPN within the continental United States (CONUS). NWS will cease ingesting and recording site data from NPN sites in Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico and New York on or about August 30, 2014.
Retiring the NPN will not have an adverse impact to the NOAA forecast and warning services. Vast improvements in computer model and data assimilation systems, in addition to the use of modern atmospheric data sampling via aircraft observations, dual polarization Doppler radar and geostationary and polar satellites, will continue to provide the quality data necessary for NWS models, forecasts and services. Additionally, using Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 funds, the NWS plans to expand in coverage and increase the number of wind, temperature, and moisture measurements from sensors available on commercial aircraft.
NWS is planning additional decommissioning steps for the eventual removal of these NPN sites. NPN program information is online at:
http://www.profiler.noaa.gov/npn/
MADIS has archived NOAA profiler network data from 2001 - 2014 covering the Central United States and Alaska. Real-time data for the NOAA Profiler Network was only available in Alaska from 2014 to September 2017. Current data transmission has stopped until MADIS finds new sources for the 3 profilers in Alaska.
Geographic Coverage
Central U.S. and Alaska
Data Schedule
The data for the entire profiler network arrive once an hour, and the data valid at the top of the hour is available at minute 23.
Volume
Typical daily volume for all MADIS datasets can be seen here.
Restrictions
No restrictions. All observations are publicly accessible.
Variable Details
Last updated 24 March 2017
