GCIP/LSA-NW 99 Surface: Great Plains Region AgriMet 1.0 General Description The Great Plains Region AgriMet Data System dataset is one of several surface datasets provided in the GEWEX Continental-Scale International Project (GCIP) Large Scale Area-North West (LSA-NW) Enhanced Annual Observing Period (EAOP) 1999. This dataset contains data for the GCIP LSA-NW EAOP-99 domain and time period (01 April 1999 through 31 March 2000). The GCIP LSA-NW EAOP-99 domain is approximately 90W to 115W longitude and 36N to 51N latitude. These data were not quality controlled by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research/Joint Office for Science Support (UCAR/JOSS) and are available "as is". 2.0 Detailed Data Description AgriMet is a satellite-linked, weather and evapotranspiration (ET) reporting network. This network is used to assist irrigators in scheduling irrigation applications. Growers use the system's data along with field examinations to determine when and how much water is required for optimum crop growth. The Great Plains Region AgriMet Data System is currently only operational in Montana. This dataset contains data from 14 AgriMet stations measuring temperature, accumulated solar radiation, dewpoint temperature, relative humidity, wind direction and wind gust speed every 15 minutes, as well as hourly readings on the precipitation measured, the average wind speed throughout the last hour and the wind run over the last hour. More information on these AgriMet sites can be found at: http://www.gp.usbr.gov/agrimet/agrimet.htm. 2.1 Detailed Format Description This AgriMet dataset contains 14 text files with each line containing a 4 digit Station ID, current date (yymmdd), current local time (MST), followed by the surface data readings delineated by a "/". The following is a list of parameters found in the dataset: Code Description Units Temporal Resolution OB TEMPERATURE F 15 min PC ACCUM PRECIPITATION in 1 hr SQ ACCUM SOLAR RADIATION langleys 15 min TP DEW POINT TEMPERATURE F 15 min TU RELATIVE HUMIDITY % 15 min UI ACCUM WIND RUN mi 15 min WD WIND DIRECTION deg az 15 min WG WIND GUST mph 15 min WS AVG WIND SPEED mph 1 hr BV BATTERY VOLTAGE volts 4 hrs 2.2 Data Remarks - A station list is available at: http://www.gp.usbr.gov/agrimet/agrimet_station_list.htm - Missing data is represented with "998877" - Data readings for stations BFTM, BFAM and BOZM start on the dates, 3/29/00, 4/13/99 and 4/28/99, respectively - Data readings for station BOMT end on 3/28/00 - Each station's precipitation gage is reset once a year (on no specific date) - Stations BFTM, BOMT, GFMT, and HVMT use different precipitation gages than the other stations. They use unheated tipping bucket gages which may underestimate the amount of precipitation received from snowfall. 3.0 Quality Control Processing These data were not quality controlled by UCAR/JOSS. 4.0 References The Great Plains Cooperative Agricultural Weather Network (AgriMet) http://www.gp.usbr.gov/agrimet/agrimet.htm; May 30, 2002 Grove, Tim, 2002, AgriMet, USDI Bureau of Reclamation Precip Gages, information supplied with data