Metadata for Montana Weather Stations, 2004 Metadata for Montana Weather Stations, 2004

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Identification Information:

Citation:

Originator: Meso West

Publication date: 10/21/2004

Title: Montana Weather Stations, 2004

Publication place: Helena, Montana
Publisher: Montana State Library

Larger Work Citation:

Title: Montana Weather Stations, 2014
Online linkage: http://mslapps.mt.gov/Geographic_Information/Data/DataList/datalist_Details.aspx?did={20242281-1a86-4773-a769-aabd6b81210c}

Abstract:

Weather stations of Montana, obtained from the Meso West web site at ftp://ftp.met.utah.edu/pub/mesonet/data.

MesoWest (http://www.met.utah.edu/mesowest) is a cooperative project between researchers at the University of Utah, forecasters at the Salt Lake City National Weather Service Office, the NWS Western Region Headquarters, and personnel of participating agencies, universities, and commercial firms. The goal of this project is to provide access to current weather observations in the western states. Support for this project is being provided by the National Weather Service.

MesoWest relies upon weather observing networks that are managed by federal, state, and local agencies and private firms. Weather observations of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, precipitation, and other weather parameters are available at thousands of locations across the United States.

This layer was removed from the GIS Data List on 1/16/2014 and replaced with new data from MesoWest.

Purpose:

MesoWest is used operationally by the National Weather Service to monitor weather conditions around the region in order to protect lives and property. MesoWest is also used extensively by researchers to understand severe weather events such as winter snow storms and damaging winds. MesoWest is available to the educational community for use in the classroom.

Time period of content:

Calendar date: 2004
Currentness reference: ground condition

Status:

Progress: Complete
Maintenance and update frequency: As needed

Access constraints: None

Use constraints:

Data contained in MesoWest arise from cooperative arrangements with many different educational institutions, public agencies and commercial firms. The data are intended to be used by personnel in governmental agencies to protect lives and property, by the public for general information, and by individuals at educational institutions for instructional and research purposes. Any other uses of the data from one or more stations must receive written approval from the agencies that installed the weather sensors. Contact the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Regional Prediction to receive information on how to obtain written approval.

Due to the nature of data transmission across the Internet and other communication factors, the information found in MesoWest may not always be current. No warranties are expressed or implied regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information contained in MesoWest. Data users are cautioned to consider the provisional nature of the data before using it for decision making. The user assumes the entire risk related to use of MesoWest data.The Cooperative Institute for Regional Prediction, CIRP, provides the data "as is" and in no event shall the providers be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from lost data or lost profits or revenue, the costs of recovering such data, the costs of substitute data, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages, arising out of the use of the data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and the providers disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use the data.

It would be very helpful if publications that depend upon substantial use of MesoWest data acknowledge the data providers by including a statement similar to: This study was made possible in part due to the data made available by the governmental agencies, commercial firms, and educational institutions participating in MesoWest.

The Montana State Library provides this product/service for informational purposes only. The Library did not produce it for, nor is it suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. Consumers of this information should review or consult the primary data and information sources to ascertain the viability of the information for their purposes. The Library provides these data in good faith but does not represent or warrant its accuracy, adequacy, or completeness. In no event shall the Library be liable for any incorrect results or analysis; any direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages to any party; or any lost profits arising out of or in connection with the use or the inability to use the data or the services provided. The Library makes these data and services available as a convenience to the public, and for no other purpose. The Library reserves the right to change or revise published data and/or services at any time.

Point of contact:

Meso West
Meteorology Department
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0110
Telephone: 801-581-7091
E-Mail: mesowest@met.utah.edu

Data Quality Information:

Attribute accuracy report:

Data quality statistics are available on the Meso West web site at http://www.met.utah.edu/jhorel/html/mesonet/quality.html

Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report:

Stations are located to the nearest .01 degrees, or approximately 1200 meters.

Lineage:

Source information:

Originator: Meso West
Title: Meso West station database
Calendar date: 10/20/2004

Process step:

Download data from Meso West. Select stations that are in Montana. Build attribute fields for online data URL based on structure of the noaa web site. Populate station type and elevation fields from old station data available at the Montana State Library. Load data into SDE database.

Process date: 10/20/2004

Process contact:

Duane Anderson
Montana State Library
Telephone: 406-444-5356
E-Mail: duanderson@mt.gov

Spatial Data Organization Information:

Point and vector object information:

SDTS object type: Entity point

SDTS object count: 363

Spatial Reference Information:

Horizontal coordinate system definition:

Grid coordinate system name: State Plane Coordinate System 1983

SPCS zone identifier: 2500

Lambert conformal conic:

Standard parallel: 45
Standard parallel: 49
Longitude of central meridian: -109.5
Latitude of projection origin: 44.25
False easting: 600000.00000
False northing: 0.00000

Planar distance units: meters

Geodetic model:

Horizontal datum name: North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid name: Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major axis: 6378137.000000
Denominator of flattening ratio: 298.257222

Entity and Attribute Information:

Entity type label: weather_mesowest2004

Entity type definition: point feature class

Attribute label: FID

Attribute definition: Shapefile sequence number

Attribute label: Shape

Attribute definition: Feature geometry

Attribute label: StationID

Attribute definition: Station Identification String

Attribute label: STATNAME

Attribute definition: Station Name

Attribute label: LAT

Attribute definition: Station Latitude

Attribute label: LON

Attribute definition: Station Longitude

Attribute label: Elev_meter

Attribute definition: Station Elevation, Meters

Attribute label: SiteAbbAtl

Attribute definition: Station Type abbreviation

Attribute label: SiteFull

Attribute definition: Explanation of station type abbreviation

Attribute label: URL

Attribute definition:: URL for current station weather data report from NOAA web site

Attribute label: URL2

Attribute definition:: URL for current station weather data report from Meso West web site

Distribution Information:

Distributor:

Montana State Library
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-5354
TDD/TTY telephone: Montana Relay 711
Fax: 406-444-0266
E-Mail: geoinfo@mt.gov

Resource description: Offline Data

Distribution liability:

The Montana State Library provides this product/service for informational purposes only. The Library did not produce it for, nor is it suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. Consumers of this information should review or consult the primary data and information sources to ascertain the viability of the information for their purposes. The Library provides these data in good faith but does not represent or warrant its accuracy, adequacy, or completeness. In no event shall the Library be liable for any incorrect results or analysis; any direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages to any party; or any lost profits arising out of or in connection with the use or the inability to use the data or the services provided. The Library makes these data and services available as a convenience to the public, and for no other purpose. The Library reserves the right to change or revise published data and/or services at any time.

Metadata Reference Information:

Metadata date: 01/07/2015

Metadata review date: 04/17/2013

Metadata review date: 10/21/2004

Metadata contact:

Montana State Library
P.O. Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-5354
TDD/TTY telephone: Montana Relay 711
Fax: 406-444-0266
E-Mail: geoinfo@mt.gov