List available data types for a dataset

Reports the element codes a station actually records.

Usage

list_datatypes(
  dataset,
  station,
  start_date = NULL,
  end_date = NULL,
  cache = TRUE
)

Arguments

dataset

Character. Dataset identifier (e.g. "daily-summaries").

station

Character. A station ID to query.

start_date, end_date

Optional character dates. For the daily datasets these restrict the result to elements recorded during the window; for other datasets they bound the sample request.

cache

Logical. Use cached data if available (default TRUE).

Value

A character vector of available data type codes.

Details

For the daily datasets this reads the GHCN-Daily element inventory, which states exactly which elements a station reports and over what years. That inventory file is around 36 MB, downloaded on first use and cached thereafter.

For other datasets, where no such inventory exists, a short sample request is made and the columns that came back with data are reported. The sample window is taken from the end of the requested range, or from the recent past when no range is given.

A station's element list spans its entire history, and stations routinely stop recording some variables. Supply start_date and end_date to see only the elements whose record overlaps the period you care about.

See also

noaa_coverage() for the years each element spans.

Other data access: cache_info(), clear_cache(), list_datasets(), noaa_get()

Examples

# \donttest{
op <- options(readnoaa.cache_dir = tempdir())
try({
  # Everything Central Park has ever recorded
  list_datatypes("daily-summaries", "USW00094728")

  # Only what it still records
  list_datatypes("daily-summaries", "USW00094728", start_date = "2025-01-01")
})
#> ℹ Downloading the GHCN-Daily element inventory (~36 MB, cached after first use).
#>  [1] "AWND" "PGTM" "PRCP" "SNOW" "SNWD" "TMAX" "TMIN" "WDF2" "WDF5" "WSF2"
#> [11] "WSF5" "WT01" "WT02" "WT03" "WT04" "WT06" "WT08" "WT09"
options(op)
# }