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January 3, 1976 windstorm in central Europe at 1200 UTC. Note the extensive coverage in the communist Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc. Plotted with Digital Atmosphere.
January 20, 1982 (0000 UTC) cold air outbreak. Many parts of the Philippine lowlands dropped below 15C (59F). Plotted with Digital Atmosphere.
April 26, 1989 (0000 UTC) showing conditions several hours before the April 1989 Bangladesh tornado outbreak, which resulted in 1300 deaths. Plotted with Digital Atmosphere.
Sounding for the southeast coast of the United Kingdom on January 3, 1976 (1200 UTC) during the European 1976 windstorm. Plotted with RAOB.

Global Upper Archives

WORLDWIDE RADIOSONDE DATASET / 1930-2024


GLOBAL UPPER ARCHIVES

Price:
$149

Availability:
Provided via website download (8 GB)

Description:
Collections of radiosonde data

LIFETIME UPDATES

Price:
$79

Availability:
Download as needed

Description:
Receive free updates with future data.

Global Upper Archives was introduced by Weather Graphics as the single largest collection of WMO TEMP-formatted upper air weather data in existence. This easy-to-use collection of upper-air data imports directly into programs like Digital Atmosphere, RAOB, and any other package that accepts standard "TTAA/TTBB" upper air data. Plot historical upper-air charts and soundings for almost anywhere in the world during the past several decades!

As with Global Surface Archives, you don't get cryptic XML or JSON records, a database, or some other proprietary file. All data is in plaintext ASCII and is in TEMP (TTAA/TTBB/PPBB) which is by far the most widely used upper air format in existence. This means the data can be easily plotted by Digital Atmosphere and RAOB, and works in off-the-shelf programs like GEMPAK.

Details

Period of record: January 1945 to April 1, 2019
Frequency: Four times daily (00, 06, 12, 18Z) / Hourly starting August 2013
Formats: TEMP (WMO FM-35) upper air data ordered by date-time and collected into monthly ZIP files
Displayable as maps?: Yes - Digital Atmosphere, RAOB, GEMPAK, other programs which read upper air collectives.
Dataset size: 7 GB compressed (apprx 20 GB uncompressed)
Inventory: Listings by station and year: 1945-1972, 1973-2013 (more recent years not yet inventoried).
Data samples: 1976-01-03 1200 UTC, 1982-01-20 0000 UTC.
Documentation: For further information, see the technical manual here (PDF).
Special notes: Coverage before 1973 is limited primarily to world stations that are associated with U.S. agencies. Please check the inventory file for further info.

Global Surface Archives (surface data)

Add the latest Global Surface Archives dataset! Click here for more information.

Information on Lifetime Updates

If you have Lifetime Updates or are thinking about purchasing it, please read this important information:

When will there be an update?
Updates are every six months: in January and July.

Do I need separate Lifetime Updates for both Surface and Upper Air data?
No, once you buy Lifetime Updates it is good for all our archived data.

What's the procedure for Lifetime Updates?
Updates are placed on our website for download. The link will be sent to you when you place the order. These are new files that you can unzip and use as-is or merge with your existing product.

Can I get a special update to make all the data current through today?
Yes. If you want the data brought current through the time of purchase, this is available for a $95 service charge either at the time of purchase or any date after your purchase. You do not have to have a Lifetime Updates package to request this. Click here to place this in your cart. Allow anywhere from 2 to 7 days to build the data.

What if I don't want to download the Lifetime Updates patches? What if I want them on a USB drive?
If you prefer physical media or can't download the updates, we will be glad to provide a fully updated Global Archives package on a USB drive at your expense for the actual costs of shipping and the drive. Please contact us to work out an arrangement.

Terms and conditions.
This program is intended to allow customers to receive updates to Global Archives, providing we are continuing to maintain it, at no cost except for the actual costs incurred by Weather Graphics, typically raw materials and postage. The guarantee provided to you is to provide you a method of getting updates as we continue to sell that product without having to re-purchase it. Terms and conditions are subject to change.