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NGM Guidance
Not sure about what the numbers mean? Look below.
Reading the NGM Numbers
    FOUS14 KLIT 301200
<01>LIT  SC   NGM MOS GUIDANCE   <02>6/30/03  1200 UTC
    DAY /JUNE 30 /JULY  1                /JULY  2                /
<03>HOUR   18 21 00 03 06 09 12 15 18 21 00 03 06 09 12 15 18 21 00
<04>MN/MX                    71          88          69          88
<05>TEMP   84 84 80 76 74 73 73 78 84 84 82 75 71 70 71 78 84 85 83
<06>DEWPT  72 72 71 71 71 70 70 71 70 70 70 71 70 70 69 71 71 70 70
<07>CLDS   BK OV BK OV OV BK OV OV OV BK BK BK BK SC BK SC BK BK SC
<08>WDIR   12 11 10 17 25 34 33 03 08 14 14 16 24 27 28 28 16 20 17
<09>WSPD   08 07 06 04 04 01 04 04 03 04 07 02 01 02 03 04 05 05 06
<10>POP06        35    18    13    19    29    15    14    14    21
<11>POP12                    25          39          21          27
<12>QPF         0/    0/    0/0   0/    0/0   0/    0/0   0/    0/0
<13>TSV06     84/ 4 56/ 0 16/ 0 45/ 1 79/ 0 63/ 0 24/ 0 41/ 1 69/ 4
<14>TSV12           88/ 5       50/ 0       88/ 0       51/ 0
<15>PTYPE   R  R  R  R  R  R  R  R  R  R  R     R     R 
<16>POZP    0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     0     0    
<17>POSN    0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     0     0     
<18>SNOW        0/    0/    0/0   0/    0/0   0/    0/0   0/    0/0      
<19>CIG     4  5  5  6  6  5  4  3  4  5  6     6     5
<20>VIS     5  5  5  5  5  4  3  4  5  5  5     5     3
<21>OBVIS   N  N  N  N  F  F  F  F  N  N  N     F     F     
Not sure what the numbers mean above?  To help you decode the data, match the red numbers above with the descriptions below...
1. Station...in this case LIT for Little Rock, AR
2. Date/Time of Guidance...in this case 10/31/00 at 1200 UTC
Note:  "UTC" is "Coodinated Universal Time" or "Z" Time. A new day begins at 0000 UTC (600 pm CST or 700 pm CDT)...not at midnight. Guidance is available at 0000 UTC and 1200 UTC (600 am CST or 700 pm CDT).   
3. UTC Time or Z Time every three (3) hours
Note: The time begins 6 hours after the guidance valid time. So, 3-hourly time will start at 18Z (1200 pm CST or 100 pm CDT) on the 1200 UTC run and at 06Z (1200 am CST or 100 am CDT) on the 0000 UTC run. 
4. Minimum/Maximum Temperatures every twelve (12) hours
5. Temperatures every three (3) hours
6. Dewpoints every three (3) hours
7. Sky Conditions every three (3) hours
Note: "CL" means few if any clouds (less than 1/10 of the sky is covered), "SC" means scattered clouds (1/10 to 5/10 of the sky is covered), "BK" means broken clouds (6/10 to 9/10 of the sky is covered) and "OV" means overcast skies (10/10 of the sky is covered).    
8. Wind  Direction every three (3) hours
Note: "09" is an east wind, "18" is a south wind, "27" is a west wind and "36" is a north wind. 
9. Wind Speed every three (3) hours
Note: Speed is in knots. For mph, multiply the speed by 1.15.
10. Chance of Precipitation every six (6) hours (in %)
11. Chance of Precipitation every twelve (12) hours (in %)
12. Amount of Precipitation every six (6) hours
Note: "0" indicates no precipitation, "1" means .01 to .09, "2" means .10 to .24, "3" means .25 to .49, "4" means .50 to .99, "5" means 1.00 to 1.99 and "6" means 2.00 inches or more precipitation.  Amounts are formatted as such: x/y. The first number (x) is the expected 6 hourly amount and the second number (y) is the 12 hourly amount.    
13. Chance of Thunderstorms every six (6) hours
Note: Chances are formatted as such: x/y. The first number (x) is the chance of thunderstorms (in %) in general and the second number is the chance of severe storms (in %).
14. Chance of Thunderstorms every twelve (12) hours
15. Precipitation Type
Note: "R" is rain, "Z" is freezing rain or sleet and "S" is snow. 
16. Probability of freezing rain or sleet in % (if precipitating)
17. Probability of snow in % (if precipitating)
18. Snow Amount
Note: "0" indicates no snow, "1" means a trace (flurries) to 2 inches, "2" means 2 to 4 inches, "4" means 4 to 6 inches and "6" means more than 6 inches.   Amounts are formatted as such: x/y. The first number (x) is the expected 6 hourly amount and the second number (y) is the 12 hourly amount.    
19. Ceiling (cloud heights)
Note: "1" is less than 200 feet, "2" is 200 to 400 feet, "3" is 500 to 900 feet, "4" is 1000 to 3000 feet, "5" is 3100 to 6500 feet,  "6" is 6600 to 12000 feet and "7" is more than 12000 feet.
20. Visibility
Note: "1" is less than 1/2 mile, "2" is 1/2 to 7/8 mile, "3" is 1 to 2 3/4 mile, "4" is 3 to 5 miles and "5" is more than 5 miles.  
21. Obstruction to Visibility
Note: "F" is fog, "H" is haze and "N" is no fog or haze.
 

 

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Page last modified: 30 June, 2003
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