Thanks for the question, Gene! I’ve actually gotten this one a few times before, so it’s the perfect opportunity to clear things up.
So, why are NOAA weather stations set up near airports? Well, you don’t have to be a pilot to understand how critical it is to know exactly what the weather is doing when planes are taking off or landing. Imagine trying to land a jet and suddenly running into a strong microburst wind without warning, yeah, not a situation anyone wants.
That’s why airports are the go-to locations for official weather recording stations. They provide the most reliable, real-time data for pilots, air traffic controllers, and, as a bonus, the rest of us too. For Houston, the official station is at George Bush Intercontinental (IAH). I’ve circled its exact location on the map below so you can see where all those weather readings come from.
If you’d like a closer look at the image above, click here.
Now, let’s get into Gene’s question about whether acres of concrete and big buildings might skew the data. The short answer? Not in this case.
Take a look at the surroundings: just a few hundred feet to the left you’ll find plenty of trees and smaller buildings. A few hundred feet to the right? Grass, runways, and open space. The main terminal is way off in the distance. In other words, this weather station isn’t boxed in by skyscrapers or miles of pavement.
Here’s a zoomed-in view so you can see for yourself—this location doesn’t have the “big building” problem at all.
Official weather stations aren’t just plopped down next to airports without thought, there are actually strict federal guidelines for where and how meteorological sensors are placed. I won’t drag you through every line of fine print (though if you’re into that kind of thing, I’ll share the links at the end). Instead, let’s focus on the parts that matter most for Houston.
Here are a few highlights:
- Distance matters: The station has to be at least 100 feet away from any major paved or concrete surface.
- Height check: The temperature sensor must sit 4 to 6 feet above the ground.
- Keep it natural: The sensor can’t be influenced by artificial conditions, no heat from big buildings, cooling towers, or endless stretches of concrete. It needs to be out in the open air, catching both sunshine and wind, without trees shading it.
- Even the grass has rules: Within 100 feet, the grass can’t grow taller than 10 inches. (Yes, even the lawn gets regulated!)
- Accuracy is key: Thermometers must measure temperatures with a maximum error of less than 0.4°F.
So when you see an “official” temperature reading, it’s not just coming from some random spot at the airport. There’s a lot of thought and a lot of rules making sure those numbers are the real deal.
Above is a photo of the weather station at IAH, shared by an engineer with the National Weather Service while he was out doing maintenance on the site. As you can see, it’s quite an elaborate setup because when it comes to weather data, accuracy isn’t optional, it’s everything.
Former Chief Meteorologist Frank Billingsley once fielded a similar question about the recording station at Hobby Airport, but in that case, the concern was construction. You can check out his response here.
This is from the NWS about the official recording station for Houston.
“The official observation site for the city of Houston was moved quite a few times during its long history. The city office was located in downtown Houston and observations began in July 1881. Regrettably, weather records prior to 1889 are not available. However, a relatively complete set of daily temperature and rainfall data is available dating back to 1892 with some temperature and rainfall records dating back to 1889. The city office remained in downtown Houston from 1881 through May 1969. Intercontinental Airport opened in June 1969 and the official observation site was moved to the airport upon its opening. The official observation site has been located at Intercontinental Airport ever since. Although the downtown office was the official observation site for almost eighty years, the office moved quite a few times around downtown Houston. Below is a list of locations and dates of the official observation site.”
- Cotton Station (July 1881 - September 1909)
- Stewart Building at Preston and Fannin (September 1909 - February 1926)
- Shell Building at Texas and Fannin (March 1926 - August 1938)
- Federal Building at Franklin and Fannin (August 1938 - May 1969)
- Intercontinental Airport (June 1969 - Present)
For a deep dive on the subject here are the two articles on the requirements and standards for NWS climate observations and Federal standard for sitting meteorological sensors at airports.