1984 Daily Climatology and Solar Insolation Data for Northern Minnesota

This dataset contains 1984 daily weather observations and solar radiation measurements for a forested region in northern Minnesota. Data originates from the National Weather Service in International Falls and specialized insolation measurements taken at Fall Lake Dam in Winton. The dataset is hosted by NASA and appears on multiple government data platforms.

Use Cases

• Analyzing daily temperature trends using surface air temperature data.
• Modeling solar energy potential via total solar insolation measurements.
• Studying precipitation patterns and water vapor indicators.
• Calibrating modern satellite or sensor data against historical ground-based pyranometer readings.
• Correlating atmospheric radiation measurements with local ecological conditions.

Strengths

• Includes specialized solar insolation data measured with a Yellow Springs cell calibrated against an Eppley Pyranometer.
• Sourced from authoritative organizations: the National Weather Service and University of Minnesota researchers.
• Appears on multiple platforms (Data.gov and NASA Earthdata), indicating curation and importance.

Limitations

• Critical metadata conflicts exist: one source lists a last update in 2026, while another indicates data from 1984.
• No row counts, file sizes, or explicit column names are provided across any source.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' on Data.gov but is 'None' on NASA Earthdata.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

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

Time Range

1984

Freshness

2026-03-12 22:59:58.623123

Geography

Northern Minnesota, specifically the area around International Falls and Winton.