SNF: 1973 Daily Weather and Solar Insolation Data

1973 weather data was collected by the National Weather Service in International Falls, Minnesota, approximately 80 miles from the Superior National Forest (SNF). Total solar insolation measurements were made at Fall Lake Dam in Winton, Minnesota, using a Yellow Springs solar cell calibrated against an Eppley Pyranometer. The dataset likely contains daily records of temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation for climate analysis.

Use Cases

• Analyzing daily temperature trends based on surface air temperature data.
• Studying precipitation patterns and water vapor indicators for hydrological models.
• Calibrating solar energy models using measured total solar insolation values.
• Comparing representative weather data from a station 80 miles from a study area (SNF).

Strengths

• Data collection involved calibrated instruments, specifically a Yellow Springs solar cell against an Eppley Pyranometer for insolation.
• Dataset has a specific and documented temporal coverage for the year 1973.
• Cross-platform presence on datagov and nasa_earthdata signals established curation and importance.

Limitations

• Critical metadata conflicts exist: the 'last updated' date differs significantly between sources (1973 vs. 2026), casting doubt on provenance.
• Column names and exact data structure are unknown, limiting immediate usability.
• Spatial representativeness is noted as an approximation, as the weather station is 80 miles from the primary area of interest (SNF).

Provenance

Source

National Weather Service (International Falls, MN) and Prof. Donald Baker, University of Minnesota, St. Paul.

Collection Method

Weather data collected by NWS; solar insolation measured with a calibrated Yellow Springs solar cell at Fall Lake Dam.

Time Range

1973

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:30:43.720321 (from datagov, but conflicts with 1973 date from nasa_earthdata)

Geography

International Falls, Minnesota, and Fall Lake Dam in Winton, Minnesota, USA; data is representative of the Superior National Forest area.