Daily NMC analyses, constructed from operational TOVS data since 1978, are used to monitor behavior of middle atmospheric temperature. Capability of the upper-stratospheric analyses (5,2,1, and 0.4 mb) to provide temporally consistent temperature fields depends on adjustments derived from ground-truth observations. These adjustments compensate for biases in the analyses caused by behavioral differences in data derived from successive operational satellite instruments and by changes in data and analysis procedures. This paper supports previous studies showing that observations from the datasonde rocket system provide ground-truth adjustments with a precision of 1°–3°C. The number of datasonde observations has diminished substantially in recent years, putting this adjustment system at risk. Falling-sphere rocket temperature data are shown to have variability in excess of that judged to be acceptable for use in the adjustment system. The capability for Rayleigh lidar to provide high-quality temperature data ...