NWS IV-ROCS Physical Element Reporting

Definitions: Standard Hydrometeorological Exchange Format (SHEF) Manual Version 2.0

1. Air Temperature Report:

� Temperature at time of observation (Degrees Fahrenheit)

� TA - Temperature, Air (Dry Bulb): Technically, the temperature registered by the dry-bulb thermometer of a psychrometer. However, it is identified with the temperature of the air and may also be used in that sense.

� 24-hour max (Degrees Fahrenheit)

� �TX � Temperature, Air Maximum: The maximum air temperature observed over a duration of 24 hours.

� 24-hour min (Degrees Fahrenheit)

� TN � Temperature, Air Minimum: The minimum air temperature observed over duration of 24 hours.

2. Precipitation Report:

� 24-hour (0.01 Hundredths inch)

� PP � Precipitation, Actual Increment: The discrete increase in precipitation amount over a specified duration.

� New snow (0.1 Tenths inch)

� SF � Snow, Depth (New Snowfall): The incremental depth of snow on the ground at any instant since last snow depth (SD) observation.

� Ground snow (1 Whole inches)

� SD � Snow, Depth: The actual depth of snow on the ground at any instant during a storm, or after any single snowstorm or series of storms.

� Precipitation Type

� PT � Precipitation Type: The particular kind of precipitation as defined by the U.S. Department of Commerce, �Surface Observations,� Federal Meteorological Handbook No. 1.

0. Ice prism

1. Rain

2. Freezing rain

3. Drizzle

4. Freezing drizzle

5. Snow

6. Snow pellets

7. Snow grains

8. Ice pellets

9. Hail

3. Wind (Anemometer Miles) Report:

� Wind Run (Nearest mile)

� ULD � (UL) Wind, Travel Length Accumulated Over Specified Duration: The travel length of wind over a specified duration. (D) 1 Day.

4. Evaporation Report (Amount):

� Evaporation (1.00 Inches & Hundredths Inch)

� EP � Evaporation, Pan Increment: The change in depth of water over a specified duration in an evaporation pan usually obtained with the aid of a hook gage set in a still well.

5. Water Temperature Report:

� Water Temperatures (Degrees Fahrenheit)

� TPIRZX � (TP) Temperature, Pan Water: The water temperature at the bottom of an NWS class-A evaporation pan. (I) Instantaneous. (RZ) Nonspecific observed reading (default for this category and universal default for type/source). (X) Maximum of day.

� TPIRZN � (TP) Temperature, Pan Water: The water temperature at the bottom of an NWS class-A evaporation pan. (I) Instantaneous. (RZ) Nonspecific observed reading (default for this category and universal default for type/source). (N) Minimum of day.

6. River Stage (Gage) Report:

� Depth of River (1.00 Feet & Hundredths)

� HG � Height, River Stage: The elevation of the water surface at a specified station above some arbitrary zero datum.

7. Reservoir Pool Height & Tail Water Report:

� Reservoir height (0.1 Foot & Tenths)

� HP � Elevation, Pool: The elevation of the impoundment not necessarily observed immediately above a dam or hydroelectric plant intake structure. The term is usually expressed in MSL.

� Tail water (0.1 Foot & Tenths)

� HT � Elevation, Project Tailwater Stage: The elevation of the water surface immediately downstream from a dam or hydroelectric power plant. This elevation is usually expressed in MSL.

8. Soil Temperature:

TV & TV Physical elements can be specified in an encoded fashion in SHEF by using two-integer numbers connected by a decimal point in the following way:

depth(inches).temperature(degrees Fahrenheit)

Vegetated Ground Cover

� Soil temperature at time of observation (Degrees Fahrenheit)

� TV � Temperature, Vegetated Soil at Specified Depths: The temperature of the ground at various depths below vegetated soil. (IR � default for this category and universal default for type/source). (Z � Default null character {filler}). (Z � Default null character {filler}).

� 24-hour max (Degrees Fahrenheit)

� TVIRZX � (TV) Temperature, Vegetated Soil at Specified Depths: The temperature of the ground at various depths below vegetated soil. (I) Instantaneous. (RZ) Nonspecific observed reading (default for this category and universal default for type/source). (X) Maximum of day.

� 24-hour min (Degrees Fahrenheit)

� TVIRZN � (TV) Temperature, Vegetated Soil at Specified Depths: The temperature of the ground at various depths below vegetated soil. (I) Instantaneous. (RZ) Nonspecific observed reading (default for this category and universal default for type/source). (N) Minimum of day.

Bare Ground Cover

� Soil temperature at time of observation (Degrees Fahrenheit)

� TB � Temperature, Bare Soil at Specified Depths: The temperature of the ground at various depths below bare soil. (IR � default for this category and universal default for type/source). (Z � Default null character {filler}). (Z � Default null character {filler}).

� 24-hour max (Degrees Fahrenheit)

� TBIRZX � (TB) Temperature, Bare Soil at Specified Depths: The temperature of the ground at various depths below vegetated soil. (I) Instantaneous. (RZ) Nonspecific observed reading (default for this category and universal default for type/source). (X) Maximum of day.

� 24-hour min (Degrees Fahrenheit)

� TBIRZN � (TV) Temperature, Bare Soil at Specified Depths: The temperature of the ground at various depths below bare soil. (I) Instantaneous. (RZ) Nonspecific observed reading (default for this category and universal default for type/source). (N) Minimum of day.

9. Special Event Reports:

� Excessive rainfall (0.01 Hundredths inch)

� PPP � (PP) Precipitation, Actual Increment: The discrete increase in precipitation amount over a specified duration. (P) Duration for a period beginning at 7 a.m. local and ending at time of observation.

� 6-hour excessive snowfall (0.1 Tenths inch)

� SFQ � (SF) Snow, Depth (New Snowfall): The incremental depth of snow on the ground at any instant since last snow depth (SD) observation. (Q) 6 Hours.

� 12-hour excessive snowfall (0.1 Tenths inch)

� SFK � (SF) Snow, Depth (New Snowfall): The incremental depth of snow on the ground at any instant since last snow depth (SD) observation. (K) 12 Hours.

� River Stage (1.00 Feet & Hundredths)

� HG � Height, River Stage: The elevation of the water surface at a specified station above some arbitrary zero datum.

� Water equivalent of snow pack (0.01 Hundredths inch)

� SWE � (SW) Snow, Water Equivalent: The depth of water that would result from melting a core sample of snow on the ground. The amount of liquid water resulting from this melting is referred to as the water content of snow. (E) ?