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The variables measured by the TEMPO observatories are the dates of various phenological events of animal, plant and fungal species in several places across France.

Each registered date has a certain number of associated metadata including at least the name of the species and possibly the variety, the location of the observation, and the exact phenological stage. Generally, the data collected have an annual frequency, but the weather conditions certain years may cause the appearance of the same event twice in the year. 

With respect to plant species, phenological stages recorded in TEMPO follow the BBCH reference system, which was initially described for annual crops, and then for fruit trees. One of TEMPO's objectives has been to add forest and ornamental species to this reference system (Les plantes au rythme des saisons, Ed BIOTOPE). Regarding animal and fungal species, there is currently no reference system to describe their phenology.  Most of the phenological stages collected by TEMPO are the emergence of adult phases in insects, reproduction (mating, appearance of offsprings), and migration.