Observations
The Observations section displays data from several networks. The primary network is the National Weather Service (NWS)
Cooperative Observer Program (COOP).
This data is supplemented with reports from Remote Automated Weather Stations
(RAWS) network, Automated Surface Observing Systems
(ASOS), Automated Weather Observing
System (AWOS),
and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) network. Data from
these networks are combined with COOP data for the display. The final network is
CoCoRaHS,
an acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. All data sets are updated at least daily.
COOP reports are collected every day of the year from observers across the United States. The data covers the previous 24 hours ending around 8 a.m. The displayed COOP data are collected by one of the forecast offices serving South Carolina:
- 1. Charleston, SC (CHS)
- 2. Columbia, SC (CAE)
- 3. Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP)
- 4. Wilmington, NC (ILM)
A
COOP report may consist of any or all of the following parameters:
- 1. Maximum, Minimum and Current air temperature, degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2. Precipitation in inches.
- 3. Maximum, Minimum and Current bare soil temperature, degrees Fahrenheit.
- 4. Evaporation in inches.
- 5. Snow Fall and Snow Depth (when available) in inches.
CoCoRaHS reports are also collected each day for about the same time period. These reports cover occurrences of rain, snow and hail.
