Training Guide in Surface Weather Observations - Multiple Choices

PREFACE
METAR/SPECI is the international standard code for hourly and special surface weather observations.
The METAR acronym roughly translates from the French as Aviation Routine Weather Report. A
special report, SPECI, is merely a METAR-formatted report which is issued on a non-routine basis as
dictated by changing meteorological conditions. The SPECI acronym roughly translates as Aviation
Selected Special Weather Report.
National Weather Service Observing Handbook No. 7, Part I (WSOH #7), and National Weather Service
Observing Handbook No. 8 (WSOH #8) prescribe aviation weather observing, reporting, and coding
procedures applicable to taking and reporting manual surface observations. They provide a framework
within which meteorological phenomena can be identified and reported in a standardized and
understandable format. The type of station you are assigned to will determine which National Weather
Service Observation Handbook is to be used for your station’s surface weather observing program.
WSOH #7 provides procedures and practices for NWS and NWS-contract personnel. WSOH #8
prescribes procedures and practices for Supplementary Aviation Weather Reporting Stations (SAWRS).
Training Guide in Surface Weather Observations is designed to provide additional information in
observing, recording, and coding of manual surface weather reports. The Training Guide doesn’t include
everything you need to know. Therefore, it is necessary to use it in conjunction with your station’s
WSOH.
When you’ve finished reading a chapter in your station’s WSOH, read the discussion in the training
guide. When you are confident and familiar with the contents of both, proceed to the review questions
at the end of each chapter. Answer each question, but DO NOT guess at the answers. If in doubt, look
up the answer in the appropriate instructions. This will help you become more familiar with the
Handbooks.
Correct answers to review questions can be found in Appendix A. Use these answers only after
answering all questions in the chapter. If you made a mistake, locate the appropriate instructions and
determine where you went wrong.
Complete the Observing and Coding Exercises and the Quality Control Exercises in Chapter 9 only after
all other chapters in the training guide are completed. Correct answers to the exercises can be found in
Appendix A.
Because this Training Guide provides a wide spectrum of information on surface weather observations,
some of the information may not be applicable to a station’s observing program. For example, SAWRS
are not required to provide 3- and 6-hourly precipitation amounts, 24-hour precipitation amounts, snow
depth on the ground, or water equivalent of snow on the ground data; so a student working at a SAWRS
would not need to study this information. Therefore, students should consider only the information in
this study guide that is applicable to their station’s observing program.
i