Arctic NWPSurface Observations
Locations for routine surface weather observations are in most cases quite widely spaced in the Arctic, primarily due to the lack of major population centers in the region. The end of the cold war caused a dramatic decrease in regular surface observations by the U.S., Canada, and Russia.
Currently, routine soundings are collected from scattered coastal locations throughout the Arctic. Still, the atmosphere over the vast ocean area of the Arctic is largely unmeasured. Unlike lower latitude locations, aircraft ascent/descent profiles are unavailable for almost the entire region.