Advances in Web-Based, Near Real-Time Climate Data Ingest For NOAA's Cooperative Volunteer Observation Network

NOAA is charged with collection, preservation and accessibility of a quality digital record of Cooperative Network data and metadata. This record has historically been derived through the imaging and keying of so- called "B-91' forms that are sent by observers and the National Weather Service to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). The processing time, including quality assurance checks and serial publication, typically is 45-60 days beyond the data month. Technological and communication advances, coupled with integrated climate and weather and water reporting needs have reached a threshold where near real-time (i.e., daily) reporting of observations is desirable. While ASOS data have long been directly reported to NCDC in this time horizon, National Weather Service Cooperative Network (COOP) data has continued to be recorded on forms. Timely data reporting is fundamental to the success of the U.S. effort in Global Earth Observations, especially for monitoring drought as part of the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). Coupled with implementation planning for transition of Legacy COOP under NOAA's Environmental Real-Time Observing Network (NERON), work toward such a system is timely. NOAA is working closely with Regional Climate Centers, State Climatologists and other partners to develop a web-based interface based on existing systems (e.g., WxCoder, CoCoRAHS and COOLTAP) to provide for the electronic submission of daily COOP data to NCDC and the climate community. To this end, the following guiding principles have been identified: 1) Provide efficient, easy-to-use data entry system for participating COOP observers, 2) Ensure timely availability of COOP data for all customers, 3) Improve data quality through automated near-real-time data QA/QC, 4) Achieve a paperless electronic data collection, transmission, and archiving system. 5) Allow system flexibility to meet demands of integrating data from future observing systems This presentation provides an update on the development of the web-based interface, and also offers an overview of NOAA's plans to make a paradigm shift to a near real-time, paperless environment for the receipt of COOP data.