NOAA Climate Normals represent the gold standard for understanding typical climate conditions across the United States. These statistically derived 30-year averages are calculated from weather observations collected at approximately 15,000 federal weather stations and thousands of citizen scientist contributors, making them the most comprehensive and reliable climate reference available. The current NOAA Climate Normals dataset spans 1991–2020 and serves as the official baseline for comparing daily, monthly, and annual conditions to determine what constitutes "normal" weather for any U.S. location in today's climate.
What's Included in the NOAA Climate Normals Dataset
The dataset encompasses more than 500 types of weather and climate statistics, including temperature normals (maximum, minimum, heating and cooling degree days), precipitation normals (rainfall, snowfall, snow depth, percentiles, and frequencies), and specialized hourly normals for temperature, dew point, heat index, wind chill, wind speed, cloudiness, and atmospheric pressure. Agricultural normals add critical data on frost-freeze date probabilities, growing degree days, temperature threshold probabilities, and growing season length – making NOAA Climate Normals indispensable for farmers and land managers alike.
Rigorous Standards, Broad Coverage
Produced in accordance with World Meteorological Organization guidelines and fulfilling a congressional mandate dating to the Organic Act of 1890, NOAA Climate Normals undergo strict quality control that accounts for missing observations, station relocations, and instrument changes. Data is drawn from the National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Program, Automated Surface Observing System networks, and Climate Reference Network stations to ensure broad geographic coverage. Updated every decade to reflect climate change impacts, this dataset supports drought monitoring, energy forecasting, construction scheduling, agricultural planning, and climate research.
Access NOAA Climate Normals with Social Explorer
Ready to explore NOAA Climate Normals for your region? Sign up for a free trial of Social Explorer and get instant access to NOAA Climate Normals data alongside powerful mapping and analysis tools. Whether you're a researcher, planner, educator, or data enthusiast, Social Explorer makes it easy to visualize and interpret climate patterns across the country – no technical expertise required. Start your free trial today and put NOAA climate data to work for you.