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The NOAA Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) is a citizen weather observer network run by the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) and National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Over 8,700 volunteers from the fifty states and all territories report at least daily a variety of weather conditions such as daily maximum and minimum 
Daily observations are reported electronically or over the phone, and monthly logs are submitted electronically or via the mail. Many stations are located in rural areas but the network also includes long-term stations in most urban centers. Observation locations include farms, in urban and suburban areas, National Parks, seashores, and mountaintops. Volunteers are trained by local NWS offices who provide rain gauges, snowsticks, thermometers, or other instruments. Data is initially received and analyzed by local NWS offices then ultimately stored and analyzed by NCEI, which also does final data quality checks. The program began with act of Congress in 1890 and grew out a network of observers developed by the Smithsonian Institution. It was a backbone of the U.S. climatological observation network and remains an important network in providing long-term observations of particular locations.
The Cooperative Weather Observer network consists of manual observations of only a few variables and consists of daily summaries rather than being continuous (i.e. real-time). Because of these limitations and other sensor limitations, as well as to attain a denser network of observations, there has been a move to supplement the coop program using automated weather stations since the 1990s. NWS sponsored programs include the Citizen Weather Observer Program (CWOP) and Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS). The coop network predates but grew to supplement significant surface weather observation sites typically located around major airports. Mesonets also supplement these major weather stations and may be official or unofficial, possess varying degrees of rigor, may be temporary or used for specific research project goals, and some (typically for temporary research projects) are even mobile.
NWS National Cooperative Observer Program
(NWS)
Cooperative Observer Network
(NCEI)
Cooperative Observer's Network Observation Forms
(Climate.gov)
Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) Training Materials
(NWS Chief Learning Office) {{Earth-based meteorological observation National Weather Service Meteorological data and networks Citizen science
temperature
Temperature is a physical quantity that quantitatively expresses the attribute of hotness or coldness. Temperature is measurement, measured with a thermometer. It reflects the average kinetic energy of the vibrating and colliding atoms making ...
s, 24-hour precipitation totals, including snow
Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...
fall, and significant weather occurrences throughout a day that are recorded via remarks in observer logs. Some stations also report stream stage or tidal levels.
Daily observations are reported electronically or over the phone, and monthly logs are submitted electronically or via the mail. Many stations are located in rural areas but the network also includes long-term stations in most urban centers. Observation locations include farms, in urban and suburban areas, National Parks, seashores, and mountaintops. Volunteers are trained by local NWS offices who provide rain gauges, snowsticks, thermometers, or other instruments. Data is initially received and analyzed by local NWS offices then ultimately stored and analyzed by NCEI, which also does final data quality checks. The program began with act of Congress in 1890 and grew out a network of observers developed by the Smithsonian Institution. It was a backbone of the U.S. climatological observation network and remains an important network in providing long-term observations of particular locations.
The Cooperative Weather Observer network consists of manual observations of only a few variables and consists of daily summaries rather than being continuous (i.e. real-time). Because of these limitations and other sensor limitations, as well as to attain a denser network of observations, there has been a move to supplement the coop program using automated weather stations since the 1990s. NWS sponsored programs include the Citizen Weather Observer Program (CWOP) and Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS). The coop network predates but grew to supplement significant surface weather observation sites typically located around major airports. Mesonets also supplement these major weather stations and may be official or unofficial, possess varying degrees of rigor, may be temporary or used for specific research project goals, and some (typically for temporary research projects) are even mobile.
See also
* Significant Weather Observing Program (SWOP) * Skywarn ** Spotter Network * Safecast (organization) * Snow gaugeReferences
External links
NWS National Cooperative Observer Program
(NWS)
Cooperative Observer Network
(NCEI)
Cooperative Observer's Network Observation Forms
(Climate.gov)
Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) Training Materials
(NWS Chief Learning Office) {{Earth-based meteorological observation National Weather Service Meteorological data and networks Citizen science