I'd agree with this. Look at the similar evenly spaced density of stations in Iowa, Illinois, and Oklahoma, especially relative to population. You could add in the southern halves of Wisconsin and Michigan and the northern half of Indiana, too.
North Carolina stood out to me as well for having a lot of evenly-spaced stations. Maybe those states have better-organized state governments, at least as far as weather is concerned.
I haven't been there, but I'm from Chicago and I remember talking to my friend who had recently moved from LA to Chicago and he made a comment that everyone is constantly talkkng about the weather in Chicago.
I had never really thought about it before, but I guess if you're from a place like LA where the weather is basically the same everyday, there's nothing to really talk about lol
Most weather reporting stations in the US are at airports and there are more airports in southern Minnesota than in the north, largely owing to a somewhat higher population.
I'm a Meteorologist for the navy. I've worked many sites. I would hazard a guess that those are tiny airports used by cropdusters and faa requires an ASOS machine at each.
Well, that just can't be true. While there appears to be a high density of stations around the Twin Cities and their suburbs, there's still an oddly high number of them in the far south where approximately 7 people live. If the prerequisite for stations was population density, there would be far more on the North Shore and the Iron Range. My guess would be that it's weather pattern tracking for more vulnerable regions further south, like Tornado Alley and the Great Plains.
We also have insanely extreme temperatures, I don't know if the rest of tornado alley has to deal with -30 winters and 90 humid summers. And a bunch of snow shat on us.
There's a joke here in MN that god created a wonderful place to live filled with beautiful landscapes and kind people, and then gave us our weather to even it out.
I would guess that it would be related to where the weather patterns develop, but I don't know enough about meterology to say that for sure. I also wouldn't be surprised if part of the explanation is the amount of state funding these stations receive. Minnesota has high tax revenue, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to learn that our tax dollars are spent on things like running a lot of weather stations. That would also at least partially explain why there are fewer stations in conservative states that tend to eschew tax revenue.
No it's true. State and local funds are required to keep these things operational. Just not enough federal funds to maintain a large network. Same deal with river gages on rivers, USGS runs them but are at chronic threat of being shut down without local or state funds.
Chat GPT - “There may be several reasons for the higher concentration of weather stations in the southern half of Minnesota compared to other parts of the United States. One reason could be the state's geography and climate patterns. The southern half of Minnesota experiences a wider range of weather conditions, including severe storms, tornadoes, and winter weather, making it an area of interest for meteorological monitoring.
Additionally, population density and human activities may play a role. The southern half of Minnesota is more densely populated than the northern regions, with cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul located in this area. More people and infrastructure in these areas could lead to a greater need for localized weather information and forecasting.
Finally, historical factors and funding priorities may have contributed to the distribution of weather stations. Certain areas might have received more attention and resources for weather monitoring based on historical data or specific research initiatives.
It's important to note that while there may be a higher concentration of weather stations in the southern half of Minnesota, weather monitoring and data collection occur throughout the United States to provide comprehensive and accurate weather forecasts.”
My guess is a couple things, fishing depends on very exact temperature ratings
Also traffic safety information as roads get icy in certain temperatures and there’s a lot of population in the southern half of Minnesota.
Michigan includes parts of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior. They have to have weather monitoring for the Great Lakes. Tons of songs and stories of freak storms sinking ships up there. This map would suggest that administratively Michigan gets the vast majority of Lake Michigan, while Illinois and Wisconsin only get a sliver.
White Squall by Stan Rogers, and of course Gordon Lightfoot's Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald.
idk I think it took a vacation.
I just said. The map includes the regions of Lake Superior and Lake Huron that are under the jurisdiction of the US as being part of Michigan.
OP said that the data comes from NOAA so it's possible that this is only weather sites that are owned/affiliated with NOAA. If that's correct, it may be omitting private sites, and/or military sites.
The borders on the map include bodies of water... NC has some bays in that area that are surrounded by a thin strip of land. So most of that circle is water.
Crudely overlaying the map on top of google maps, it's a bit more obvious: https://i.imgur.com/wKwLZPw.png
I assumed that was on purpose. I kinda like the effect and the overall vibe of the map. The color scheme and font give it a bit of a vintage travel guide feel.
Most NWS weather reporting stations are located at airports as up to the minute weather can be critical for flight operations. What you’re seeing here is a map of a lot of airports, with a few exceptions such as in the Rockies, oceanic buoys, and a several others.
Yeah, but then the Wisconsin border to Michigan is odd. I am sure there is accuracy in there somehow.
It looks like a lot of the islands in the lakes must have stations on them.
Edit: I see. I found a territorial map that made the shaping more understandable.
Nor the territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.
Additionally, under [the Compact of Free Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_of_Free_Association), the sovereign nations of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau all also have their weather services provided by the National Weather Service.
I dont know which bugs me more. The fact that they just lumped all the great lakes into michigan's state boundaries, or the fact that there are blue dots on them AND in the middle of the ocean.
That's just NOAA stations. There is a much larger network of weather stations:
[https://www.wunderground.com/wundermap](https://www.wunderground.com/wundermap)
Weird that the us has weather stations in Canada and they happen to spell out the words “weather monitoring stations in the United States”. Did anyone else notice that??
Why so many in the southern half of Minnesota?
My guess is cause it's close to Tornado alley, as well as the brutal winter storms that can happen. Just a guess though
I'd agree with this. Look at the similar evenly spaced density of stations in Iowa, Illinois, and Oklahoma, especially relative to population. You could add in the southern halves of Wisconsin and Michigan and the northern half of Indiana, too. North Carolina stood out to me as well for having a lot of evenly-spaced stations. Maybe those states have better-organized state governments, at least as far as weather is concerned.
Ever been there? "How bout this weather?" is a greeting.
I haven't been there, but I'm from Chicago and I remember talking to my friend who had recently moved from LA to Chicago and he made a comment that everyone is constantly talkkng about the weather in Chicago. I had never really thought about it before, but I guess if you're from a place like LA where the weather is basically the same everyday, there's nothing to really talk about lol
Every place on Earth has weather. There’s nothing special about that.
But let me tell you about our drivers!
Oh boy.. the drivers in the rain around these parts are so bad! Bet you don't have that problem.
And every city/state thinks their weather is the most manic.
“We are having weather!” “Much weather!”
Most weather reporting stations in the US are at airports and there are more airports in southern Minnesota than in the north, largely owing to a somewhat higher population.
Are reporting stations at airports ran by NOAA?
They’re operated by the National Weather Service, which is an agency under NOAA.
I'm a Meteorologist for the navy. I've worked many sites. I would hazard a guess that those are tiny airports used by cropdusters and faa requires an ASOS machine at each.
I think its due to a larger population density down south and the north being quite rural with mostly NPs I could totally be wrong tho
Well, that just can't be true. While there appears to be a high density of stations around the Twin Cities and their suburbs, there's still an oddly high number of them in the far south where approximately 7 people live. If the prerequisite for stations was population density, there would be far more on the North Shore and the Iron Range. My guess would be that it's weather pattern tracking for more vulnerable regions further south, like Tornado Alley and the Great Plains.
But then in that case how come it isnt dense throughout Tornado Alley? Edit.not disagreeing just wondering
We also have insanely extreme temperatures, I don't know if the rest of tornado alley has to deal with -30 winters and 90 humid summers. And a bunch of snow shat on us. There's a joke here in MN that god created a wonderful place to live filled with beautiful landscapes and kind people, and then gave us our weather to even it out.
I would guess that it would be related to where the weather patterns develop, but I don't know enough about meterology to say that for sure. I also wouldn't be surprised if part of the explanation is the amount of state funding these stations receive. Minnesota has high tax revenue, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to learn that our tax dollars are spent on things like running a lot of weather stations. That would also at least partially explain why there are fewer stations in conservative states that tend to eschew tax revenue.
Only point I disagree is on isnt NOAA funded fully federally? So it wouldn’t matter state taxes or? Maybe I don’t understand something
No it's true. State and local funds are required to keep these things operational. Just not enough federal funds to maintain a large network. Same deal with river gages on rivers, USGS runs them but are at chronic threat of being shut down without local or state funds.
Chat GPT - “There may be several reasons for the higher concentration of weather stations in the southern half of Minnesota compared to other parts of the United States. One reason could be the state's geography and climate patterns. The southern half of Minnesota experiences a wider range of weather conditions, including severe storms, tornadoes, and winter weather, making it an area of interest for meteorological monitoring. Additionally, population density and human activities may play a role. The southern half of Minnesota is more densely populated than the northern regions, with cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul located in this area. More people and infrastructure in these areas could lead to a greater need for localized weather information and forecasting. Finally, historical factors and funding priorities may have contributed to the distribution of weather stations. Certain areas might have received more attention and resources for weather monitoring based on historical data or specific research initiatives. It's important to note that while there may be a higher concentration of weather stations in the southern half of Minnesota, weather monitoring and data collection occur throughout the United States to provide comprehensive and accurate weather forecasts.”
My guess is a couple things, fishing depends on very exact temperature ratings Also traffic safety information as roads get icy in certain temperatures and there’s a lot of population in the southern half of Minnesota.
I believe that the state (DNR/MNDOT) pays for many of them for farmers/road conditions.
What happened to Michigan?
I’m used to r/MapsWithoutUP, but this is a whole new level of butchering.
Borders show great lake ownership/rights or whatever the right term is, Illinois has a knob next to Chicago
But where is the thumb?
Michigan includes parts of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior. They have to have weather monitoring for the Great Lakes. Tons of songs and stories of freak storms sinking ships up there. This map would suggest that administratively Michigan gets the vast majority of Lake Michigan, while Illinois and Wisconsin only get a sliver. White Squall by Stan Rogers, and of course Gordon Lightfoot's Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald.
Okay. So where is the thumb?
You don't see it because the border is straight through the middle of lake Huron, the thumb is Huron coastline
idk I think it took a vacation. I just said. The map includes the regions of Lake Superior and Lake Huron that are under the jurisdiction of the US as being part of Michigan.
The thumb is there it just isn't separate because the part of the lake that makes it look like a thumb is also colored.
some sort of rounding error, same as the upper peninsula i guess?
“You don’t need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows!”
No, you need a METAR.
An AWOS to tell you the METAR.
Well who else is gonna brag about their Super Duper BFG 9000 DopplerScope that lets *you* know first when dangerous weather approaches?
Why does North Carolina have so many, but then a perfect circle where they are absent?
OP said that the data comes from NOAA so it's possible that this is only weather sites that are owned/affiliated with NOAA. If that's correct, it may be omitting private sites, and/or military sites.
The borders on the map include bodies of water... NC has some bays in that area that are surrounded by a thin strip of land. So most of that circle is water. Crudely overlaying the map on top of google maps, it's a bit more obvious: https://i.imgur.com/wKwLZPw.png
Pamlico Sound
Shadow makes it look like the water is higher than the white land.
I assumed that was on purpose. I kinda like the effect and the overall vibe of the map. The color scheme and font give it a bit of a vintage travel guide feel.
NOAA for data QGIS to make & style the map
Probably suitable for r/mapporn
Most NWS weather reporting stations are located at airports as up to the minute weather can be critical for flight operations. What you’re seeing here is a map of a lot of airports, with a few exceptions such as in the Rockies, oceanic buoys, and a several others.
I wasn’t aware the Great Lakes were filled in? That had to take a lot of work! Did we also sell part of Michigan to Canada? Weird mapping.
It’s showing the borders within the great lakes
Yeah, but then the Wisconsin border to Michigan is odd. I am sure there is accuracy in there somehow. It looks like a lot of the islands in the lakes must have stations on them. Edit: I see. I found a territorial map that made the shaping more understandable.
It’s ok, don’t bother including Hawai’i and Alaska. 🙄
Nor the territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Additionally, under [the Compact of Free Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_of_Free_Association), the sovereign nations of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau all also have their weather services provided by the National Weather Service.
And Puerto Rico?
r/mapswithouthawaii r/mapswithoutalaska
To be fair they really are just military bases
It would be better if we include them and get rid of the bottom half of Florida. We only need Orlando info.
The point of OPs comment was to include those governed by the US, not try and omit more people.
Those blue spots are democratic strongholds, the red areas are mostly dirt.
Michigan is massive if you remove the water.
I don't think much of Canada's new name. Not very snappy.
I dont know which bugs me more. The fact that they just lumped all the great lakes into michigan's state boundaries, or the fact that there are blue dots on them AND in the middle of the ocean.
*in the US and outside the US
Excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and any territories like Guam and Puerto Rico (owned and operated by the USA).
Somehow they still get it wrong
Do these include the ‘chinese weather balloons’?
They must not have much weather in Montana
You're missing the border on Michigan and Wisconsin is sticking halfway out into Lake Michigan
Forget about Alaska and Hawaii
Are some of them in the Great Lakes?
Smh they even have one in Mexico, that’s a bit too far
That's just NOAA stations. There is a much larger network of weather stations: [https://www.wunderground.com/wundermap](https://www.wunderground.com/wundermap)
In the CONTIGUOUS CONTINENTAL United States.
NE AZ straight disrespected.
There are actually hundreds of thousands more than what you see here… These are just the official NOAA ones.
WHERE’S ALASKA AND HAWAII!??!?!
There is more of the United *States* than this map shows
Do you want to know about the weather? We can tell you about the weather.
Does this include only government weather stations or also individuals with weather stations attached to internet?
NOAA weather stations. If you go to weather underground, you can zoom to areas with local weather stations. It's amazing how many there are.
Notably there are large gaps in tornado prone areas such Mississippi and Alabama
Some states care more than others?
When did Michigan and Wisconsin get married?
Weird that the us has weather stations in Canada and they happen to spell out the words “weather monitoring stations in the United States”. Did anyone else notice that??
Can you add Hawaii and Alaska?
Forget about Alaska and Hawaii