Weather Measurements
- How does URD work?
- Who determines the rainfall level for each grid?
- Where are the weather measurements taken that go into the gridded measurement system?
- How do you determine the average rainfall for each grid?
- Can I view the URD data anywhere online?
- What happens if it rains on part of the grid but does not rain on my land?
- What if I don't think the average rainfall for the grid is representative of the average rainfall over my property?
- Do I have to select a grid containing my rangeland acreage?
- Do I have to cover all of my acres?
How does URD work?
The Universal Raingauge Dataset (URD) is a product created by the Climate Prediction Center, an agency within the National Weather Service (NWS). It is used by RMA for the Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance program. This dataset supplies a rainfall value for a set of approximately 12 mile by 12 mile grid areas for all of the United States. The rainfall value for each of these grid areas is determined by all of the weather station measurements in that 12 mile by 12 mile area and the surrounding areas. This value represents the total rainfall for that area for that day, not the amount of rain that fell at one specific location. For further details, see the NWS information page: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/outreach/research_papers/ncep_cpc_atlas/7/atlas_7.html#1.0Who determines the rainfall level for each grid?
The rainfall amounts for each grid are generated daily and quality controlled by the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center.Where are the weather measurements taken that go into the gridded measurement system?
The gridded measurement values are based on rainfall recorded at over 7,000 weather stations across the US. These values are then checked with radar and satellite data to ensure quality and combined into approximately 12 mile by 12 mile grids for the entire US. The National Weather Service supplies a list of how many weather stations reported in any grid area on each day, as well as a list of the weather stations used to create this data set.How do you determine the average rainfall for each grid?
The data set developed by the National Weather Service has a historical archive back to 1948. We use this 60+ year history to determine the normal, or average, amount of rainfall that occurred during your specified coverage period.
Can I view the URD data anywhere online?
You can view the URD weather data for any purchased or settled WeatherBill contracts by logging into your WeatherBill account and navigating to the contract details page. Access to full URD history is not currently available online, but can be made available by request.What happens if it rains on part of the grid but does not rain on my land?
Payout is determined by rainfall as calculated for the entire grid. Because this value represents the rainfall over the entire grid area, the grid rainfall value will not necessarily match the measurement from any specific point in the grid.