New Mexico Hydrometeorological Networks

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Regional Surface Meteorological Networks

Rocky Mountain Research Station Flagstaff Mountain Network - The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Flagstaff Laboratory operates this network of 9 weather stations (at least 2 in New Mexico; 2 stations do not have location information) to support their research. The network provides hourly values of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, wind gust, precipitation, and barometric pressure. For further information visit the networks home page at: http://www.rms.nau.edu/weather/stations/.

KOB WeatherNet - KOB-TV in Albuquerque, New Mexico operates this network of 53 stations located primarily at schools throughout New Mexico (50 in New Mexico). The network provides up to 1-minute observations of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, precipitation, and barometric pressure. For further information visit the KOB network page.

KTSM WeatherNet - KTSM-TV in El Paso, Texas operates this network of 15 stations located primarily at schools throughout far western Texas and southeastern New Mexico (7 in New Mexico). The network provides up to 1-minute observations of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, precipitation, and barometric pressure. For further information visit the KTSM network page.

State and Local Surface Meteorological Networks

New Mexico State University (NMSU) Climate Network - NMSU operates this network of 16 stations with locations throughout the state of New Mexico. The network provides hourly observations of air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, soil temperature, and soil moisture. Further information at: http://weather.nmsu.edu/data/data.htm/.

City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Network - The City of Albuquerque operates this network of 4 stations with locations around Albuquerque, New Mexico. The network provides hourly observations of air temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation. Further information at: http://weather.nmsu.edu/data/data.htm/.

Cotton Simulation Model Climate Network - The Cottom Simulation Model Climate Network consists of 5 stations with locations mostly in southern New Mexico. The network provides hourly observations of air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, soil temperature, and soil moisture. Further information at: http://weather.nmsu.edu/data/data.htm/.

Middle Rio Irrigation District Network - The Middle Rio Irrigation District operates this network of 9 stations located along the Rio Grande in central New Mexico. The network provides hourly observations of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, and soil temperature. Further information at: http://weather.nmsu.edu/data/data.htm/.

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Network - LANL operates this network of 11 stations that operate around LANL in north-central New Mexico. The network includes a 92 m tower with wind and temperature at four levels (also near-surface measurements of temperature, moisture, pressure, precipitation, and surface energy balance terms), a 23 m tower with wind and temperature at two levels (also shortwave radiation), three 46 m towers with wind and temperature at three levels (also near-surface measurements of temperature, moisture, precipitation, and shorwave radiation), and a 36 m tower with wind and temperature at one level (also near-surface measurements of temperature, moisture, pressure, and precipitation). The additional sites provide primarily precipitation. For further information visit the LANL network page and information on the individual sites can be found here.

Neighborhood Environmental Watch Network (NEWNET) - LANL, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and local community operate this network of 21 stations (12 on the LANL campus) to provide radiological and meteorological data. The network provides 15-minute observations of wind speed, wind direction, barometric pressure, air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, and radiological parameters. Further information at: http://newnet.lanl.gov/.

White Sands Missle Range (WSMR) Network - WSMR operates this network of 29 stations that operate around WSMR in south-central New Mexico. The network provides 15-minute observations of air temperature, dew point, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, and precipitation. Further information at: http://weather.wsmr.army.mil/default.htm.

Precipitation and Radar Networks

NOAA/National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Hourly Precipitation Data - NOAA/NCEP routinely develops a National Multi-sensor Hourly Precipitation Analysis (Stage II) data set from hourly radar precipitation estimates and from hourly gage reports. The gage data includes hourly observations from ~4000 gages across the US (66 in New Mexico) collected by the NOAA River Forecast Centers and sent to NCEP. Further information on these data is available at: http://wwwt.emc.ncep.noaa.gov/mmb/ylin/pcpanl/.

Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) - The Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University overseas this cooperative network of observers located throughout New Mexico. The network provides daily observations of precipitation, snowfall, and snow depth. Hailpad observations are also made at many locations. For further information visit the CoCoRaHS home page. No map.

Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) Network - The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) operates this network of 754 stations with locations throughout the mountainous areas of the western US (20 in New Mexico). The temporal resolution and parameters measured vary by station. Up to hourly observations of air temperature, precipitation, snow depth, and snow water content are typically provided. Other parameters that may be available include relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, soil moisture, and soil temperature. These data are archived by the NRCS, Western Regional Climate Center, and other. For further information visit the NRCS SNOTEL Data Network home page or the Western Regional Climate Center SNOTEL data page or the US Bureau of Reclamation SNOTEL page.

USDA/NRCS Snow Survey Program - The USDA/NRCS Snow Survey Program provides mountain snow course data at approximately 800 locations throughout the western US. For further information visit the USDA/NRCS Snow Course Data Network page and the USDA/NRCS New Mexico Snow Survey Program. No Map.

NOAA/NWS Cooperative Observer 15-minute Precipitation Network - The NOAA/NWS routinely collects 15-minute observations of precipitation from Fisher-Porter and Universal rain gages operated by 2777 cooperative observers located throughout the US (78 in New Mexico). These data are archived at NOAA/NCDC as data set TD 3260. For further information visit the NOAA/NCDC TD3260 page at: http://ols.nndc.noaa.gov/plolstore/plsql/olstore.prodspecific?prodnum=C00505-TAP-A0001

Weather Surveillance Radar 1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) Network - The NOAA/NWS and the Department of Defence operate this network of 143 WSR-88D radars across the continguous US (2 in New Mexico). The Level II data are the three meteorological base data quantities (reflectivitiy, mean radial velocity, and spectrum width) and are recorded at all NWS and most DOD sites. Level II data are then processed in order to create a number of meteorological analysis products known as Level III data. Level III data are recorded at the NWS sites. The Level III products included base reflectivity, base spectrum width, base velocity, composite reflectivity, echo tops, velocity azimuth display (VAD) wind profile, vertically integrated liquid (VIL), 1-hour precipitation, storm total precipitation, hail index overlay, mesocyclone overlay, severe weather probability overlay, storm structure, storm tracking information overlay, and tornadic vortex signature overlay. All Level II and III data are archived at NOAA/NCDC. For further information visit the NOAA/NCDC Radar Resources page at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/radar/radarresources.html or the NOAA Radar Operations Center at: http://www.roc.noaa.gov/.

Radiation and Flux Networks

Integrated Surface Irradiance Study (ISIS) Network - The ISIS network is operated by the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) Surface Radiation Research Branch (SRRB). The network provides 3 minute observations of downwelling global solar, direct solar, downwelling diffuse solar and global UVB. There are 9 ISIS sites located across the US (1 in New Mexico). For further information visit the ISIS home page at: http://www.srrb.noaa.gov/isis/.

Cooperative Network for Renewable Resource Measurements (CONFRRM) Network - The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) oversees this network of 11 radiation stations (1 in New Mexico) with locations primarily in the southern and eastern US. The network provides 5-minute observations of global horizontal irradiance, direct normal irradiance, and diffuse horizontal irradiance. Some of the sites also provide various surface meteorological parameters. For further information visit the CONFRRM home page at: http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/new_data/confrrm/.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ultraviolet Monitoring Program (UV-Net) - The EPA operates this network of 20 Brewer spectrophotometers throughout the US (1 in New Mexico). The network provides observations of full-sky spectrally resolved solar radiation in the UV-B and UV-A bands. The irradiance and total column ozone concentrations are derived from these data. For further information visit the EPA UV-Net page.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) UV-B Monitoring Network - The USDA operates this network of 29 stations with locations throughout the US (1 in New Mexico). The network provides 3-minute observations of spectral total/direct/diffuse radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, barometric pressure, and photosynthetically active radiation. For further information visit the USDA UV-B Monitoring page.

Soil Networks

Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) - The SCAN is operated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The network provides hourly observations of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, precipitation, barometric pressure, snow water content, snow depth, soil temperature (at 2, 4, 8, 20, and 40 cm depths), and soil moisture (at 2, 4, 8, 20 and 40 cm depths). The 80 SCAN stations are located across the US in primarily agricultural regions (1 in New Mexico). For further information visit the SCAN home page.

Hydrology Networks

United States Geological Survey (USGS) Streamflow Network - The USGS (part of the US Department of the Interior) operates this network of 7237 streamflow gages (84 in New Mexico) at locations throughout the US. The network provides hourly or more frequent observations of stage (water level) from which discharge (flow) is comuputed using a stage-discharge rating relation. The rating is defined by occasional direct current-meter measurements of discharge. All data are available through the USGS and the district offices in each state. Many of these gages provide realtime data relayed via the GOES satellite data collection system. The realtime data are provisional data that have not been reviewed or edited. These realtime data may be subject to significant change and are not citeable until reviewed and approved by the USGS. Realtime data may be changed after review because the stage-discharge relationship may have been affected by: 1) backwater from ice or debris; 2) algal and aquatic growth in the stream; 3) sediment movement; and 4) malfunction of recording equipment. Each station record is considered provisional until the data are published. The data are usually published with 6 months of the end of the water year (1 October to 30 September). Data users are cautioned to consider carefully the provisional nature of the information before using it. For further information on the USGS stremflow network visit the USGS Water Resources of the United States page at: http://water.usgs.gov/ or the USGS Arizona District Office home page at: http://az.water.usgs.gov/.

US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Albuquerque District Reservoir Data - The USACE Albuquerque District provides daily reports from 7 reservoirs within New Mexico. They provide daily observations of reservoir elevation, reservoir storage, stage, flow evaporation, precipitation, and air temperature. Further information is available at the USACE Albuquerque District Reservoir Water Control Section home page at: http://www.spa.usace.army.mil/wc/. No map.

Upper Air Networks

NOAA/NWS Radiosonde Network Low Vertical Resolution Data - The NOAA/NWS typically releases radiosondes twice per day at 0000 and 1200 UTC at 69 locations throughout the US (2 in New Mexico). During special weather situations the NWS can request to release additional radiosondes at off-times (e.g. 1800 UTC). The low resolution data is sent out over the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) and provides mandatory and significant level observations of pressure, altitude, temperature, dew point, wind speed, and wind direction. There are 3 types of radiosondes utilized within the US network, Vaisala, VIZ (or Sippican), and Microsonde. These data are archived by NOAA/NCDC and other organizations. For further information on the NWS Radiosonde network visit the NWS Upper-air Observations Program home page. A several year archive of GTS upper air data is available at the NOAA/FSL Radiosonde Database.

NOAA/NWS Radiosonde Network High Vertical Resolution Data - The same radiosonde locations mentioned in the previous data set also provide a 6-second vertical resolution data set that provides observations of pressure, temperature, altitude, relative humidity, and azimuth and elevation angles. UCAR/JOSS has developed software to derive 6-second vertical resolution winds from the angle data. These data are archived by NCDC and UCAR/JOSS.

NOAA Profiler Network (NPN) - The NOAA/Forecast Systems Laboratory (FSL) operates this network of 32 404 MHz wind profilers primarily across the central portion of the United States (3 in New Mexico). Each site provides 6-minute and hourly vertical profiles of wind speed and wind direction. Additionally, 11 of the NPN sites have a collocated Radio Acoustic Sounding System (RASS) that provides 6-minute and hourly vertical profiles of virtual temperature (1 in New Mexico). For further information visit the NPN home page. An archive of the hourly wind profiles is available from NCAR/SCD.

Cooperative Agency Profiler (CAP) Network - The NOAA/FSL ingests data from wind profilers and RASS operated by a number of cooperating agencies. Most of these profilers are 915 MHz, but some are 449 or 50 MHz. Most provide hourly observations of wind speed and direction. The number and location of these can vary through time. As this is being written the network included 58 locations within the US (3 in New Mexico). Most of the sites are along the US West Coast and in the northeastern US. For further information visit the CAP home page at: http://www.profiler.noaa.gov/jsp/aboutCap.jsp.

Ground Based Global Positioning System (GPS) Meteorology Demonstration Network (GPS-MET) - The NOAA/FSL ingests data from 323 GPS locations around the US operated by many different agencies (5 in New Mexico). Typically each location provides 30-minute observations of integrated precipitatable water along with a number of surface meteorology parameters (air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, etc). For further information visit the GPS-MET home page.

Other Networks

Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) - AERONET is an optical ground-based aerosol monitoring network and data archive supported by NASA's Earth Observing System. The network hardware consists of identical automatic sun-sky scanning spectral radiometers owned by national agencies and universities. Data from this collaboration provides globally distributed (3 in New Mexico) near real time observations of aerosol spectral optical depths, aerosol size distributions and precipitable water. For further information visit the AERONET home page.

Regional Surface Meteorological Networks
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Rocky Mountain Research Station Flagstaff Mountain Network - The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Flagstaff Laboratory operates this network of 9 weather stations (at least 2 in New Mexico; 2 stations do not have location information) to support their research. The network provides hourly values of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, wind gust, precipitation, and barometric pressure. For further information visit the networks home page at: http://www.rms.nau.edu/weather/stations/.

KOB WeatherNet - KOB-TV in Albuquerque, New Mexico operates this network of 53 stations located primarily at schools throughout New Mexico (50 in New Mexico). The network provides up to 1-minute observations of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, precipitation, and barometric pressure. For further information visit the KOB network page.

KTSM WeatherNet - KTSM-TV in El Paso, Texas operates this network of 15 stations located primarily at schools throughout far western Texas and southeastern New Mexico (7 in New Mexico). The network provides up to 1-minute observations of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, precipitation, and barometric pressure. For further information visit the KTSM network page.

State and Local Surface Meteorological Networks

New Mexico State University (NMSU) Climate Network - NMSU operates this network of 16 stations with locations throughout the state of New Mexico. The network provides hourly observations of air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, soil temperature, and soil moisture. Further information at: http://weather.nmsu.edu/data/data.htm/.

City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Network - The City of Albuquerque operates this network of 4 stations with locations around Albuquerque, New Mexico. The network provides hourly observations of air temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation. Further information at: http://weather.nmsu.edu/data/data.htm/.

Cotton Simulation Model Climate Network - The Cottom Simulation Model Climate Network consists of 5 stations with locations mostly in southern New Mexico. The network provides hourly observations of air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, soil temperature, and soil moisture. Further information at: http://weather.nmsu.edu/data/data.htm/.

Middle Rio Irrigation District Network - The Middle Rio Irrigation District operates this network of 9 stations located along the Rio Grande in central New Mexico. The network provides hourly observations of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, and soil temperature. Further information at: http://weather.nmsu.edu/data/data.htm/.

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Network - LANL operates this network of 11 stations that operate around LANL in north-central New Mexico. The network includes a 92 m tower with wind and temperature at four levels (also near-surface measurements of temperature, moisture, pressure, precipitation, and surface energy balance terms), a 23 m tower with wind and temperature at two levels (also shortwave radiation), three 46 m towers with wind and temperature at three levels (also near-surface measurements of temperature, moisture, precipitation, and shorwave radiation), and a 36 m tower with wind and temperature at one level (also near-surface measurements of temperature, moisture, pressure, and precipitation). The additional sites provide primarily precipitation. For further information visit the LANL network page and information on the individual sites can be found here.

Neighborhood Environmental Watch Network (NEWNET) - LANL, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and local community operate this network of 21 stations (12 on the LANL campus) to provide radiological and meteorological data. The network provides 15-minute observations of wind speed, wind direction, barometric pressure, air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, and radiological parameters. Further information at: http://newnet.lanl.gov/.

White Sands Missle Range (WSMR) Network - WSMR operates this network of 29 stations that operate around WSMR in south-central New Mexico. The network provides 15-minute observations of air temperature, dew point, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, and precipitation. Further information at: http://weather.wsmr.army.mil/default.htm.

Precipitation and Radar Networks

NOAA/National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Hourly Precipitation Data - NOAA/NCEP routinely develops a National Multi-sensor Hourly Precipitation Analysis (Stage II) data set from hourly radar precipitation estimates and from hourly gage reports. The gage data includes hourly observations from ~4000 gages across the US (66 in New Mexico) collected by the NOAA River Forecast Centers and sent to NCEP. Further information on these data is available at: http://wwwt.emc.ncep.noaa.gov/mmb/ylin/pcpanl/.

Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) - The Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University overseas this cooperative network of observers located throughout New Mexico. The network provides daily observations of precipitation, snowfall, and snow depth. Hailpad observations are also made at many locations. For further information visit the CoCoRaHS home page.	No map.

Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) Network - The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) operates this network of 754 stations with locations throughout the mountainous areas of the western US (20 in New Mexico). The temporal resolution and parameters measured vary by station. Up to hourly observations of air temperature, precipitation, snow depth, and snow water content are typically provided. Other parameters that may be available include relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, soil moisture, and soil temperature. These data are archived by the NRCS, Western Regional Climate Center, and other. For further information visit the NRCS SNOTEL Data Network home page or the Western Regional Climate Center SNOTEL data page or the US Bureau of Reclamation SNOTEL page.

USDA/NRCS Snow Survey Program - The USDA/NRCS Snow Survey Program provides mountain snow course data at approximately 800 locations throughout the western US. For further information visit the USDA/NRCS Snow Course Data Network page and the USDA/NRCS New Mexico Snow Survey Program.	No Map.

NOAA/NWS Cooperative Observer 15-minute Precipitation Network - The NOAA/NWS routinely collects 15-minute observations of precipitation from Fisher-Porter and Universal rain gages operated by 2777 cooperative observers located throughout the US (78 in New Mexico). These data are archived at NOAA/NCDC as data set TD 3260. For further information visit the NOAA/NCDC TD3260 page at: http://ols.nndc.noaa.gov/plolstore/plsql/olstore.prodspecific?prodnum=C00505-TAP-A0001

Weather Surveillance Radar 1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) Network - The NOAA/NWS and the Department of Defence operate this network of 143 WSR-88D radars across the continguous US (2 in New Mexico). The Level II data are the three meteorological base data quantities (reflectivitiy, mean radial velocity, and spectrum width) and are recorded at all NWS and most DOD sites. Level II data are then processed in order to create a number of meteorological analysis products known as Level III data. Level III data are recorded at the NWS sites. The Level III products included base reflectivity, base spectrum width, base velocity, composite reflectivity, echo tops, velocity azimuth display (VAD) wind profile, vertically integrated liquid (VIL), 1-hour precipitation, storm total precipitation, hail index overlay, mesocyclone overlay, severe weather probability overlay, storm structure, storm tracking information overlay, and tornadic vortex signature overlay. All Level II and III data are archived at NOAA/NCDC. For further information visit the NOAA/NCDC Radar Resources page at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/radar/radarresources.html or the NOAA Radar Operations Center at: http://www.roc.noaa.gov/.

Radiation and Flux Networks

Integrated Surface Irradiance Study (ISIS) Network - The ISIS network is operated by the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) Surface Radiation Research Branch (SRRB). The network provides 3 minute observations of downwelling global solar, direct solar, downwelling diffuse solar and global UVB. There are 9 ISIS sites located across the US (1 in New Mexico). For further information visit the ISIS home page at: http://www.srrb.noaa.gov/isis/.

Cooperative Network for Renewable Resource Measurements (CONFRRM) Network - The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) oversees this network of 11 radiation stations (1 in New Mexico) with locations primarily in the southern and eastern US. The network provides 5-minute observations of global horizontal irradiance, direct normal irradiance, and diffuse horizontal irradiance. Some of the sites also provide various surface meteorological parameters. For further information visit the CONFRRM home page at: http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/new_data/confrrm/.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ultraviolet Monitoring Program (UV-Net) - The EPA operates this network of 20 Brewer spectrophotometers throughout the US (1 in New Mexico). The network provides observations of full-sky spectrally resolved solar radiation in the UV-B and UV-A bands. The irradiance and total column ozone concentrations are derived from these data. For further information visit the EPA UV-Net page.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) UV-B Monitoring Network - The USDA operates this network of 29 stations with locations throughout the US (1 in New Mexico). The network provides 3-minute observations of spectral total/direct/diffuse radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, barometric pressure, and photosynthetically active radiation. For further information visit the USDA UV-B Monitoring page.

Soil Networks

Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) - The SCAN is operated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The network provides hourly observations of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, precipitation, barometric pressure, snow water content, snow depth, soil temperature (at 2, 4, 8, 20, and 40 cm depths), and soil moisture (at 2, 4, 8, 20 and 40 cm depths). The 80 SCAN stations are located across the US in primarily agricultural regions (1 in New Mexico). For further information visit the SCAN home page.

Hydrology Networks

United States Geological Survey (USGS) Streamflow Network - The USGS (part of the US Department of the Interior) operates this network of 7237 streamflow gages (84 in New Mexico) at locations throughout the US. The network provides hourly or more frequent observations of stage (water level) from which discharge (flow) is comuputed using a stage-discharge rating relation. The rating is defined by occasional direct current-meter measurements of discharge. All data are available through the USGS and the district offices in each state. Many of these gages provide realtime data relayed via the GOES satellite data collection system. The realtime data are provisional data that have not been reviewed or edited. These realtime data may be subject to significant change and are not citeable until reviewed and approved by the USGS. Realtime data may be changed after review because the stage-discharge relationship may have been affected by: 1) backwater from ice or debris; 2) algal and aquatic growth in the stream; 3) sediment movement; and 4) malfunction of recording equipment. Each station record is considered provisional until the data are published. The data are usually published with 6 months of the end of the water year (1 October to 30 September). Data users are cautioned to consider carefully the provisional nature of the information before using it. For further information on the USGS stremflow network visit the USGS Water Resources of the United States page at: http://water.usgs.gov/ or the USGS Arizona District Office home page at: http://az.water.usgs.gov/.

US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Albuquerque District Reservoir Data - The USACE Albuquerque District provides daily reports from 7 reservoirs within New Mexico. They provide daily observations of reservoir elevation, reservoir storage, stage, flow evaporation, precipitation, and air temperature. Further information is available at the USACE Albuquerque District Reservoir Water Control Section home page at: http://www.spa.usace.army.mil/wc/.	No map.

Upper Air Networks

NOAA/NWS Radiosonde Network Low Vertical Resolution Data - The NOAA/NWS typically releases radiosondes twice per day at 0000 and 1200 UTC at 69 locations throughout the US (2 in New Mexico). During special weather situations the NWS can request to release additional radiosondes at off-times (e.g. 1800 UTC). The low resolution data is sent out over the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) and provides mandatory and significant level observations of pressure, altitude, temperature, dew point, wind speed, and wind direction. There are 3 types of radiosondes utilized within the US network, Vaisala, VIZ (or Sippican), and Microsonde. These data are archived by NOAA/NCDC and other organizations. For further information on the NWS Radiosonde network visit the NWS Upper-air Observations Program home page. A several year archive of GTS upper air data is available at the NOAA/FSL Radiosonde Database.

NOAA/NWS Radiosonde Network High Vertical Resolution Data - The same radiosonde locations mentioned in the previous data set also provide a 6-second vertical resolution data set that provides observations of pressure, temperature, altitude, relative humidity, and azimuth and elevation angles. UCAR/JOSS has developed software to derive 6-second vertical resolution winds from the angle data. These data are archived by NCDC and UCAR/JOSS.

NOAA Profiler Network (NPN) - The NOAA/Forecast Systems Laboratory (FSL) operates this network of 32 404 MHz wind profilers primarily across the central portion of the United States (3 in New Mexico). Each site provides 6-minute and hourly vertical profiles of wind speed and wind direction. Additionally, 11 of the NPN sites have a collocated Radio Acoustic Sounding System (RASS) that provides 6-minute and hourly vertical profiles of virtual temperature (1 in New Mexico). For further information visit the NPN home page. An archive of the hourly wind profiles is available from NCAR/SCD.

Cooperative Agency Profiler (CAP) Network - The NOAA/FSL ingests data from wind profilers and RASS operated by a number of cooperating agencies. Most of these profilers are 915 MHz, but some are 449 or 50 MHz. Most provide hourly observations of wind speed and direction. The number and location of these can vary through time. As this is being written the network included 58 locations within the US (3 in New Mexico). Most of the sites are along the US West Coast and in the northeastern US. For further information visit the CAP home page at: http://www.profiler.noaa.gov/jsp/aboutCap.jsp.

Ground Based Global Positioning System (GPS) Meteorology Demonstration Network (GPS-MET) - The NOAA/FSL ingests data from 323 GPS locations around the US operated by many different agencies (5 in New Mexico). Typically each location provides 30-minute observations of integrated precipitatable water along with a number of surface meteorology parameters (air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, etc). For further information visit the GPS-MET home page.

Other Networks

Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) - AERONET is an optical ground-based aerosol monitoring network and data archive supported by NASA's Earth Observing System. The network hardware consists of identical automatic sun-sky scanning spectral radiometers owned by national agencies and universities. Data from this collaboration provides globally distributed (3 in New Mexico) near real time observations of aerosol spectral optical depths, aerosol size distributions and precipitable water. For further information visit the AERONET home page.