Selecting Stations on the Global Map

First published: October 2026
Last updated: October 23, 2026

[!NOTE] The Climate Simulator includes direct access to tens of thousands of global surface weather stations from the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN-Daily) and national meteorological agencies.

Using the built-in map is the fastest way to obtain high-quality, continuous daily weather data for any project site in the world without having to download or clean raw meteorological files.

How to Find and Select a Station

1. In the Data Source card, click on the Station Map tab.
2. Use the map controls to navigate:
3. Scroll wheel or +/- buttons: Zoom in and out.
4. Click & Drag: Pan across regions and continents.
5. Search Box: Type a city name, airport code, state, or coordinates (e.g. Salt Lake City, Perth, Australia, or 40.7608, -111.8910).
6. As you zoom in, station pins will appear across the terrain.
7. Click on any station pin to reveal its details card:
8. Station Name & ID: Official station identifier (e.g., USW00024127 - SALT LAKE CITY INTL AP).
9. Coordinates & Elevation: Exact latitude, longitude, and ground elevation in meters or feet.
10. Record Period: Start and end years of available data (e.g., 1948 - Present).
11. Variables Available: Confirms availability of Daily Precipitation (PRCP), Maximum Temperature (TMAX), and Minimum Temperature (TMIN).
12. Click the blue Load Station Data button.

Best Practices for Station Selection

When selecting a station for your project, consider these hydrological guidelines:

1. Elevation Matters More Than Horizontal Distance

In mountainous or hilly terrain, precipitation and temperature vary dramatically with elevation (orographic effects and adiabatic lapse rates). A station that is 15 miles away at the same elevation as your project site is usually far more representative than a station 5 miles away that sits 2,000 feet lower in a valley.

2. Check Record Length (Aim for 30+ Years)

Under World Meteorological Organization (WMO) guidelines, a 30-year climate normal is recommended to adequately capture multi-decadal drought cycles and storm statistics. The map indicates the length of record for each station. Prefer stations with at least 25 to 30 years of continuous observations.

3. Record Completeness

Look for stations with minimal missing days. Stations located at commercial airports and major research centers typically have 98%+ data completeness with consistent gauge maintenance.

Automatic Data Quality Screening

When you load a station from the map, the application automatically performs initial quality screening: - Unit Conversion: Automatically converts raw gauge measurements into your active project units (Metric or US Customary). - Physical Plausibility Checks: Flags negative precipitation or impossible temperatures ($T_{\min} > T_{\max}$). - Gap Identification: Identifies any missing blocks of time and reports data completeness in the Historical Analysis summary.

If your selected station has gaps or missing periods, you can easily use the Date Range Filter (covered in the Historical Analysis section) to isolate a continuous, high-quality period of record.