WMO Climatological Standard Normals Explorer
Explore WMO climate normals by station
The WMO Normals Explorer maps monthly and annual reference values submitted for the World Meteorological Organization’s Climatological Standard Normals collections across standard baseline periods (including 1961–1990, 1981–2010, and 1991–2020). Choose a normals period, parameter, time period, country or station to compare the typical climate reported at individual observing sites.
Use the map for broad exploration. For an exact station-selection and CSV-download workflow, follow the WMO Normals station and export guide. For interpretation, read what a climate normal can—and cannot—tell you.
San Diego Lindbergh Fld, United States - WMO Climate Normals
Station San Diego Lindbergh Fld (WMO ID 00072290), United States. WIGOS ID: 0-20000-0-72290. Elevation: 5 m. Coordinates: 32.734°N, -117.183°E.
Reference periods: 1961–1990, 1981–2010, and 1991–2020 standard baselines.
Available normals: Mean Temperature, Max Temperature, Min Temperature, Precipitation, Precipitation Days >= 1 mm.
Click the Maximize / Full Screen button in the top-right corner of the explorer window to expand the map, station table and charts. Press Esc or click the icon again to exit.
Dataset facts
- Official source
- WMO Climatological Standard Normals, archived and stewarded for global access with NOAA NCEI.
- Coverage
- Monthly and annual values across official 30-year standard normal periods: 1991–2020 (current standard), 1981–2010 (previous standard), and 1961–1990 (reference baseline). The Explorer uses primary-parameter composite tables requiring at least 24 years of data (over 6,000 unique stations for 1991–2020, over 4,000 for 1981–2010, and over 4,500 for 1961–1990).
- Update frequency
- Standard reference periods are fixed 30-year historical baselines. NCEI and WMO Members may add or correct submissions when updates are issued.
- Licence
- WMO Unified Data Policy; conditions attached to an originating country’s submission may also apply.
- Important limitation
- A normal is a station-level 30-year reference statistic, not a current observation, forecast, record value or regional average. Parameter availability and documentation vary by submission and standard period.
Custom Climate Dashboards & Data Pipelines
Climate Explorer engineers custom meteorological solutions tailored to research institutions, public agencies, and enterprise operations. We build high-performance web applications and interactive dashboards using Next.js, React, Node.js, DuckDB, Shiny, and Python FastAPI, alongside automated data scraping & ingestion pipelines, historical observation archives, and specialized spatial homogenization & extreme-event analyses.
What the map shows
Each map point represents a reporting station with a value for the selected normals period, variable and month or annual period. The Explorer includes eight primary WMO parameters:
- mean, mean daily maximum and mean daily minimum temperature
- precipitation and days with precipitation of at least 1 mm
- mean sea-level pressure and mean vapor pressure
- total sunshine duration
The set of visible stations can change when you change the normals period, parameter or month because station networks and submitted elements differ across standard periods. Selecting a station opens its dashboard, where the app combines all available primary parameters for that station and period into one monthly matrix, seasonal charts and a CSV export.
Compare like with like
Before comparing stations, hold the normals period, parameter, month or annual period, and unit constant. Then consider elevation, exposure, coastal or inland setting, and whether a station reasonably represents the place named in your question. Comparing values across different reference periods (such as 1961–1990 vs 1991–2020) illustrates multi-decadal climate shifts, but should only be performed for the same observing site and parameter.
Temperature normals are averages. Precipitation and sunshine values are totals for the stated period, while precipitation days describe frequency. A large normal does not by itself indicate an extreme event or a trend.
When to use another dataset
Use this Explorer to describe standard 30-year climate baselines (1961–1990, 1981–2010, or 1991–2020) at a station. Use GHCNm monthly records to examine long-term temperature change, or EuroMeteo observations for recent European station conditions. The evidence-led comparison of June 2026 European capital peaks with WMO normals shows how the two data roles can be combined without treating a normal as an observation.
Data source
- WMO Climatological Standard Normals: definitions and WMO reference-period guidance.
- NOAA NCEI WMO Climate Normals: station files, eight primary-parameter composites, format notes and country documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a WMO climatological standard normal?
It is an average or other climatological statistic computed for a standard 30-year period. This Explorer provides official normals for the current standard period (1991–2020), the previous standard (1981–2010), and the historical reference baseline (1961–1990).
Why do station points disappear when I change the parameter or period?
Parameter coverage and reporting station networks differ among countries and across standard normal periods. The map shows only stations with a usable value (requiring at least 24 years of data) for the selected period, variable, and month or annual period.
Does the annual column mean the same thing for every variable?
No. Temperature and pressure rows contain annual averages, while precipitation, precipitation-day and sunshine rows use annual totals or counts. Check the parameter label and unit before comparing values.