Calculating average daily temperature

In summary, the speaker has an automated weather station and is collecting data from it. They have a question about calculating average daily temperature, specifically during daylight saving time. They use a formula they found on their country's meteorological service website, but later realized that using all 24 data points would be a better method. They mention that their weather station reads data every 128 seconds, but are unsure if it is necessary to store all that data. They also speculate that the website they referenced may not have hourly data available.
  • #1
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9
I have a automated weather station and I'm collecting data from it. And I was wondering about something. I calculate average daily temperature like this: (T07+T14+2*T21)/4 . During the summer I am calculating it like this (T08+T15+2*T22 )/4 . That's taking into consideration daylight saving time which puts the clock one hour forward. Is that the correct way to do it during the summer?
 
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  • #2
The average over 24 hours should be independent of the time zone. Why do you use this formula? Especially if you seem to have more data points than you use?
 
  • #3
Thanks for your answer mfb.
I save data every hour. I use that formula because I found it at my country's meteorological service web page.
When I first started calculating average daily temperature I used all 24 data points but later I found the formula in my original post and decided that I should use that.

Actually, my weather station reads data from sensor every 128 seconds but I am not sure if there is any use to store all that data.
 
  • #4
Maybe the web page doesn't have hourly data. It looks like a weird weighted average. Averaging over all 24 hours should be better.
 

Related to Calculating average daily temperature

1. How do you calculate average daily temperature?

To calculate average daily temperature, you need to add up the high and low temperatures for each day and divide the sum by the number of days. For example, if the high temperature for Monday is 80°F and the low temperature is 60°F, the sum would be 140°F. If the high temperature for Tuesday is 70°F and the low temperature is 50°F, the sum would be 120°F. Adding these two sums (140+120) gives a total of 260°F. Since we have two days, we divide 260 by 2 to get an average of 130°F for the two days.

2. Why is calculating average daily temperature important?

Calculating average daily temperature is important because it gives us an idea of the overall temperature for a certain location during a specific time period. This information is useful for weather forecasting, studying climate patterns, and understanding the impact of temperature on various aspects of our lives such as agriculture, health, and energy consumption.

3. What is the difference between mean and average daily temperature?

Mean and average daily temperature are essentially the same thing. Both terms refer to the sum of temperatures divided by the number of days. However, mean is a statistical term used in mathematics while average is a more general term used in everyday language.

4. Can average daily temperature be calculated for different time periods?

Yes, average daily temperature can be calculated for any time period that has a consistent set of daily temperatures. It can be calculated for a week, a month, a year, or even a decade. The longer the time period, the more accurate the average daily temperature will be.

5. How can I access data to calculate average daily temperature?

There are various sources where you can access data to calculate average daily temperature. These include online weather databases, government agencies, and weather stations. You can also collect your own data by recording the high and low temperatures for each day and calculating the average using the method mentioned in the first question.

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