Metadata are critical to quality assessment, interpretation and utilization of data. MMS, the Multi-network Metadata System, is a long term strategy with the goal of improving consistency of and access to our critical metadata. While metadata include station histories, data inventories, data catalogs and directories and documentation of individual datasets, the initial focus has been on station histories.

MMS system function and content - The MMS user interface accessible from this page provides access to detailed configuration history for stations with data archived at the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Users may search for stations according to a variety of criteria, display summary information for stations matching the criteria and drill down to high levels of detail for each individual station.

NWS Cooperative: Detailed information for more than 30,000 NWS Cooperative stations in operation after 1948 (more recent stations contain the greatest level of detail), this includes all USHCN stations.