Best Historical Weather Datasets & Databases

What is Historical Weather Data?

Historical weather data is a subset of the weather data category. Weather is simply the atmospheric condition of a geographical location over a specified time frame. Hence, historical weather data is data which documents weather information and patterns from the past. The state of the atmosphere in a location is basically a summary of the information you would find in a historical weather dataset. The past is used as the basis for determining present and future weather phenomena, and so historical weather data is useful in forecasting and predictions.

How is Historical Weather Data collected?

Historical weather data is simply weather data from the past. The weather data we collect today will be classed as ‘historical weather data’ in weeks and months to come. Therefore, the methods do not differ when it comes to collection. Historical weather data is mostly weather data that has been collected and recorded, as well as been stored. Historical weather data providers collate past weather data from databases like weather monitoring systems and bodies, as well as public records. Historical weather data can also be collected from weather satellites.

What are the attributes of Historical Weather Data?

Historical weather data possesses the same attributes as all weather data types. Historical weather data is recorded from past measurements of the atmospheric conditions in various locations. Therefore the attributes to historical weather data should be weather conditions, for example humidity, air pressure, wind speed and wind pressure, temperature, rainfall, snow, hail, sunshine and any other type of factors that detail the condition of the atmosphere. Historical weather data also factors in natural objects that determined the weather in the past, like mountains, volcanoes, rivers and other geophysical factors.

What is Historical Weather Data used for?

Historical weather data provides information for a number of use cases. In weather observation, historical weather data is useful for monitoring weather patterns and observing how the atmospheric conditions have fared in the past, and in comparison with the present. In weather forecasting, historical weather data is useful in the prediction of weather patterns based on information from the past. Historical weather data is also useful in supply chain management, determining the best conditions for the movement and storage of inventory, whether it’s work-in-progress, finished goods or raw materials. It also helps in event planning based on seasonal weather patterns.

How can a user assess the quality of Historical Weather Data?

The source of historical weather data is a great measure of its quality. To ascertain such quality, it is therefore important that previous buyer reviews are taken into consideration. You can get an idea of the level of quality of the provider’s historical weather datasets from what others who have been past clients have to say about them. Sampling a test dataset is also a step to take in verifying quality. You can run analysis on the sample to see what you’d be purchasing from this vendor. Also be sure to consider the methods used in collecting the historical weather data, as this greatly influences quality.