National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Every week, scientists measure how much drought is happening in each county. For any given week, they tell you what percent of the county has normal water conditions, versus how much is abnormally dry, moderately dry, severely dry, extremely dry, or in exceptional drought. Think of it like weather forecasts but for long-term dry conditions. If you live in a county and want to know whether it's been getting drier over the past few years, this data shows exactly that, week by week going back to 2000.

When a tornado tears through Kansas or a hurricane batters the coast, NOAA logs it. This database is their 75-year record of major weather events across America. You get where each event hit, when it happened, how much damage it caused, and whether anyone was hurt. Early records focus on tornadoes, but since 1996 they track all kinds of severe weather. It's the authoritative source for understanding where extreme weather happens and what impact it has.

Energy companies and building managers need to know how much heating or cooling is required on any given day. This dataset measures exactly that for every state going back to 1895. It uses the same temperature baseline (65°F) that utilities use in their own calculations. The numbers account for population distribution, so they reflect where people actually live rather than just dividing temperature by area. You can see whether winters are getting milder (fewer heating days needed) or summers hotter (more cooling days needed), which directly impacts energy bills and grid demand.

Every Atlantic hurricane and tropical storm since 1851, hour by hour. You get where each storm was, how strong it was, and how fast the winds were blowing in different directions around the center. NOAA stitched together records from weather agencies around the world to fill in gaps and correct old observations. If you want to see how Hurricane Katrina moved across the Gulf, how often major hurricanes hit the US coast in different eras, or how storm intensity has changed over 170 years, this is the data to use.

When you hear 'severe drought conditions in California,' this is the data behind it. Every week, scientists measure how much of each state is experiencing different levels of dryness. A drought starts mild (abnormally dry), then can get worse (moderate, severe, extreme, exceptional). This data shows what percentage of each state sits at each level, week by week, going back more than 20 years. Farmers, water managers, and emergency officials use it to see where conditions are getting worse or better and to plan resource allocation.

Over 150 years of daily weather in one place. Every morning since 1869, someone recorded how hot or cold it got in Central Park, how much it rained or snowed, and how deep the snow piled up. It's one of the most complete weather records in America, so if you want to know what winters were like decades ago or spot climate trends in New York, this is where to look.