Fetch NOAA CPC's population-weighted heating degree day statistics to calibrate a propane customer's delivery K-factor
domain: cpc.ncep.noaa.gov · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
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Steps
Review the degree-day methodology at cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/cdus/degree_days/ddayexp.shtml — degree days use a 65°F base and accumulate across a July 1–June 30 'heating year.'
Pull the current weekly/monthly population-weighted heating degree day tables (by state/census division/CONUS) from the plain-text files linked at cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/cdus/degree_days/ (e.g., wsahddy.txt weekly, msahddy.txt monthly).
For raw daily station- or climate-division-level data (finer than the state summaries), use the FTP archive at ftp.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/htdocs/degree_days/weighted/daily_data/.
Compute or refine a customer's K-factor: divide gallons consumed between two delivery/read dates by the accumulated heating degree days over that same window.
Store the resulting K-factor and apply it against future degree-day accumulation to project the customer's 'date to empty' for scheduling.
Known gotchas
CPC's own maintenance notice (as of March 2025) flags an unresolved issue with the legacy weekly/monthly station-based degree-day products — verify current data availability before relying on it in production.
This is a different data source/product from the existing NWS forecast-for-delivery-scheduling route: CPC degree-day statistics are population-weighted historical accumulations for K-factor calibration, not a point-location forward weather forecast.
CPC's 2010 Census/ACS population-weighting note applies to its newer daily FTP degree-day product; the legacy monitoring files referenced here are a separate product — confirm weighting details in each file's header/readme before use.
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