Why don't my links to your images work anymore?
Before you email us about a broken link, please use our website (weather.cod.edu) to navigate to the area of the website in which the link should exist. Deep linking directly to a particular image or file is always dangerous as we do not guarantee that links will never change.
Do you provide climate data (past weather information)?
We would love to be able to store all the climate data possible and have the ability to handle people's requests for data but we do not have the resources nor the manpower to handle this. The best way to get climate data is from the National Climatic Data Center or National Weather Service.
Do you provide archived imagery?
Like with climate data, we simply do not have the storage capacity to keep most imagery around for very long. Depending on the product, most images are regularly scoured within a few days to a week or so.
One exception is with our satellite imagery. We have partnered with Iowa State University to archive the bulk of our base satellite products. The archive can be found below, you'll need to navigate around to find the imagery you are looking for.
https://mtarchive.geol.iastate.edu/2024/11/21/cod/sat/
Where does your data come from and how do you receive it?
Most of our data originates from the National Weather Service or one of its branches (NCEP, FSL, SPC, etc.), with the exception of a couple of small data sets like NLDN or West Texas Mesonet observations. We receive all of our data over the Internet Data Distribution (IDD) system using the Local Data Manager (LDM) software. The LDM is a software package developed and maintained by the Unidata Program Center. Without the services and software provided by Unidata we would not be able to develop or maintain any of the realtime products found on this website.
Tell me about your Storm Chasing Program.
Please see our Storm Chasing FAQ
Can I get a 2 year or 4 year degree in Meteorology at COD
At COD, you can receive an Associates of Science degree, but not a degree in any specific science. However, you will be able to take numerous courses that will help you in your Junior/Senior years. Most Freshman/Sophomores never get the experience or knowledge in meteorology that you can receive here. For more info, see our Class Info Section.
Can we set up links to your site?
Your sure can, but we would appreciate it if you give us credit for our work and please see our terms of use before doing so.
How come your data is missing or late sometimes?
Well, the internet is a wonderful thing but there can be many mishaps. Often, the sites from which we "feed" from die. Or maybe our network crashes or sometimes the National Weather Service has a problem. We try to make things work as well as possible but occasionally it is out of our hands
How come some of your data is "restricted"?
Some of our data, such as our lightning data, is purchased from vendors as opposed to being freely distributed on the internet. That data must be private to COD only because if we offered it free, then there would be no point in anyone else purchasing that data; and vendors need people to pay for their data to stay in business.
Do you offer online courses?
Simply, no. Classes here stress lecture and class participation and discussion,so there would be no way to do what is neccessary educationally online. For the time being, it is a matter of educational philosophy for some courses and a matter of time priorities for others.