MEMORANDUM
 
 
     FROM:  SOUTH POLE METEOROLOGY OFFICE
 
       TO:  DATA USERS
 
       RE:  SURFACE OBSERVATIONS
 
     The following is a brief description of the format and
explanation of the symbols and abbreviations currently used in
the hourly surface observation reports.  Further and more
comprehensive information may be obtained from a variety of
Federal Meteorological Handbooks. 
 
 
DD  HH  SKY/CEILING   V/OB  T(C)  WIND  PRES  ALT  REM:
 
 
DD                Calendar date
 
HH                Hour of the day in UTC (Local time minus 12)
 
SKY/CEILING       Heights and cloud cover amounts:
   Heights are in hundreds of feet above ground level(50=5000)
   Amounts are given by fractions of total sky cover; 
   i.e. SCT ( 5/10 or less) BKN (greater than 5/10 but less
   than 10/10) OVC (10/10) and these are prefaced by a ceiling 
   designator such as E (estimated) used when more than half
   of a particular cloud amount is opaque, and the "-" sign 
   to designate that the cloud amount is more than half 
   transparent. 
 
V  Visibilities are given in miles with the greatest
   reportable visibility for South Pole being 7 miles.
 
OB Obstructions to visibility include any obscuring phenomena
   such as SG, snow grains, IC, ice crystals, BS, blowing
   snow, IF, ice fog, DRFTNG SNOW, drifting snow etc. When 
   obstructions become severe remarks in the sky/ceiling 
   column will reflect these beginning with -X, for a partial
   obscuration to WX for a total obscuration. For total 
   obscuration there will be a number after the W indicating
   the vertical visibility that the observer can see into the
   surface based obscuring phenomena (i.e. W5X = 500 feet).
   The cause of the obscuration will also be given in the
   remarks.                  
 
T(C) Surface temperature in degrees Celsius. Surface
     temperature sensor is measured at 2 meters above the 
     surface.
 
WIND Surface wind direction (degrees grid, with the Greenwich
     Meridian as grid north) and speed in knots. Direction is
     listed first, followed by the speed, i.e. (36/10=360 
     degrees grid and 10 knots). Sensor is located 10 meters
     from the surface.
 
PRES Surface pressure in millibars.
 
ALT  Altimeter reading in inches of mercury.
 
REM: Remarks, which consist of bits of information pertinent
     to that specific observation and not reported elsewhere.
     This includes the surface and horizon definitions, 
     respectively, given as _/_, with G meaning good, F
     meaning fair, P meaning poor, and N meaning nil.  These
     are subjective evaluations by the observer but are
     helpful for aircraft operations.  Following these are
     the cloud amounts and types for those groups reported
     in the sky/ceiling column.  The number represents the
     octa amount of that type of cloud with 1 being 1/8th
     or less but not zero and 7 being 7/8ths or more but not
     overcast.  The most common cloud types reported are CI,
     cirrus, CC, cirrocumulus, CS, cirrostratus, AC,
     altocumulus, AS, altostratus, and occasionally NS,
     nimbostratus.  This section may be carried further
     depending upon the observation and may include certain
     sectored weather phenomena, halos, aurora, variable
     visibilities, as well as changes in cloud cover such
     as breaks or thin spots developing or occurring in an
     overcast cloud layer (BINOVC).
 
NCAR:  Had to correct day value (from 2) to 1 for hrs 20-23 of day one (Oct 2001)
NCAR:  Also put REMARKS at end of previous record to avoid buffering