Field Office Guide Supplement - Climate Data

The Natural Resources Conservation Service is charged with managing all five natural resources: soil, water, air, plants, and animals, plus human considerations (sometimes abbreviated as SWAPA-H). SWAPA-H management requires an understanding of these resources, as well as interactions between them. Many concerns about the resources can be addressed through climate information and specific climatic data.

Climate is an important factor driving the agriculture of a given region (along with soils, water available for irrigation, societal influences, economics, and others). Under many situations, climate is the determining factor which defines which crops can be grown in an area. For example, although the soils and economics of North Dakota may support growing cotton, the climate there (specifically temperature and precipitation) would not allow cotton to grow and mature.

This page on climate data is meant to supplement the NRCS Electronic Field Office Technical Guide (eFOTG) and the NRCS National Conservation Practice Standards.

In addition to providing condensed references to other sources of climatic information, such as a glossary of climatic terms and definitions of climate elements and station metadata, this page also provides examples of climate data reports available from the National Water and Climate Center (NWCC).

Climate Data Resources

Climatic Data Elements

Climate Station Metadata

Climate Data Measurement Networks

Climate Glossary

Climate Data Sample Reports

More Information

Weather Station Handbook: An Interagency Guide for Wildland Managers

American Meteorological Society Glossary of Meteorology