degree days

John Starcher_4

http://www.weather.gov/climate/index.php

Tim Gardner

comparing oil usage year to year

Is there a good source for degree days per year per region? I'd like to be able to compare my oil usage from year to year and see how much was due to colder/warmer years and how much was due to changes in my usage.

Weezbo

read someplace that the ALF program has a recent cousin in the

USA it goes the extra mile as it were and pin points an area to a specific location with something akin to a weather map of that specific site....that may be useful when weather responsive computer controls for residential boilers are being given a slightly more useful set of data for a home than outdoor temp. just what that program is called or where it may be found ...i do not remember. that it exists however may thru some searching about give you decidedly more accurate information with which to make your determination...

Brad White_9

Where are you located?

The ASHRAE Handbook (Fundamentals) has abundant information, largely based on USAF weather data from a number of sources.

The NOAA web site is another trove:


http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html


Locations are general and there is a decent range between areas you might call "similar".

For example: In Boston, the official weather data is at Logan Airport, right on the water; 5,634 degree days, 30 year average. Unless you are a seagull, it has nothing to do with Boston weather. The part of Boston where I live, Roslindale, is in the southwest corner of the city about six miles from the coast. My data is roughly halfway between the airport data and that of Great Blue Hill in Milton, about six miles the other way. Easily a 10% difference.

Tim Gardner

link to 30-year averages by region

This is a good start.

Here's a pdf showing 30-year average monthly and annual degree days by region:

http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ccd-data/CCD_2005.pdf

Here's similar data displayed on a map:

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/documentlibrary/clim81supp3/annualheatingDD_hires.jpg

I don't see the yearly totals by region that I was looking for, though. Perhaps they are on this site burried somewhere.

Thanks,
Tim