<p>I am looking for a database or api that stores historical data of very low visibility conditions. The data needs to be reliable and consistent without too many gaps and in an interval of 1 hour.</p>
<p>The best sources I have found have a resolution of 1/4 mile (400m) or worse.</p>
<p>Is there a source with better resolution? Perhaps 100m? Is it even possible to measure it in a higher resolution?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-30T06:22:02.833Z
Please specify location and spatial resolution you need.
Erik
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-02T05:39:53.180Z
You mention "measure" and "resolution", so are you both interested in observations and model data? Please clarify.
Whir
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-07T17:50:41.190Z
The only thing that could have near that resolution over large areas I would think is satellite. Synoptic stations report hourly, but the spacing is typically degrees of magnitude poorer (there are probably a very few metropolitan areas that have a local spacing of a few miles between sites).  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10962247.2013.801372 suggests satellites with a vertical distribution of aerosols are very limited, and estimations from more ubiquitous satellites are quite limited (see Figure 7)... so getting reliable resolution on the order of meters seems impossible?
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-07T17:55:21.003Z
So you might help others by offering what dataset you've found.  As Whir notes, models can infer such resolution, but any result will be of limited validity (it may take into account global aerosol patterns and infer some things [like sea spray and regional blowing dust such as from the Sahara]... but they're really unlikely to include local terrain sources (blowing dirt) and can't possibly do well at varying local human causes (fires, pollution, etc) which are often such significant sources of low visibility?
JeopardyTempest
<severe-weather>
Weather data of very low visibility
user2302108
# Weather data of very low visibility

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-09-29)

I am looking for a database or api that stores historical data of very low visibility conditions. The data needs to be reliable and consistent without too many gaps and in an interval of 1 hour.

The best sources I have found have a resolution of 1/4 mile (400m) or worse.

Is there a source with better resolution? Perhaps 100m? Is it even possible to measure it in a higher resolution?

**Tags:** severe-weather

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Please specify location and spatial resolution you need.  
> **username_2**: You mention "measure" and "resolution", so are you both interested in observations and model data? Please clarify.  
> **username_3**: The only thing that could have near that resolution over large areas I would think is satellite. Synoptic stations report hourly, but the spacing is typically degrees of magnitude poorer (there are probably a very few metropolitan areas that have a local spacing of a few miles between sites).  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10962247.2013.801372 suggests satellites with a vertical distribution of aerosols are very limited, and estimations from more ubiquitous satellites are quite limited (see Figure 7)... so getting reliable resolution on the order of meters seems impossible?  
> **username_3**: So you might help others by offering what dataset you've found.  As username_2 notes, models can infer such resolution, but any result will be of limited validity (it may take into account global aerosol patterns and infer some things [like sea spray and regional blowing dust such as from the Sahara]... but they're really unlikely to include local terrain sources (blowing dirt) and can't possibly do well at varying local human causes (fires, pollution, etc) which are often such significant sources of low visibility?  

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## 0 answers

