TITLE:  Mesonet Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) Iowa 1-min Data [ISU]


CONTACTS:

Scot Loehrer
NCAR/EOL
P.O. Box 3000
Boulder, CO 80307-3000

phone: 303-497-2631
email: loehrer@ucar.edu


1.0  DATA SET OVERVIEW


This data set contains 1-minute resolution surface meteorological data
from the Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) stations located
across the state of Iowa.  This data set covers the period from 1 February
through 31 March 2009 and 1 November 2009 through 10 March 2010.  The data are in comma-delimited ASCII format.


2.0  INSTRUMENT DESCRIPTION


2.1  Instrumentation information

Some information on AWOS can be found at the Federal Aviation Administration
Automated Weather Sensors page at: http://www2.faa.gov/asos/

Information on the Iowa AWOS can be found at the Iowa Environmental Mesonet AWOS
page at: http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/AWOS/

2.2  Station Locations

These station locations are taken from the AirNav database (http://www.airnav.com).
Elevations are in meters.

City                  ID  State  Latitude      Longitude    Elev
----------------------------------------------------------------
ALGONA                AXA   IA  43.0779106 /  -94.2719928  371.6
ANKENY                IKV   IA  41.6912856 /  -93.5663033  277.4
ATLANTIC              AIO   IA  41.4072672 /  -95.0469064  360.3
AUDUBON               ADU   IA  41.7013756 /  -94.9205417  392.3
BOONE                 BNW   IA  42.0495694 /  -93.8475722  353.6
Carroll               CIN   IA  42.0461944 /  -94.7890000  367.0   
CHARITON              CNC   IA  41.0196239 /  -93.3596803  320.0        
CHARLES CITY          CCY   IA  43.0726086 /  -92.6107783  342.9  
CLARINDA              ICL   IA  40.7217836 /  -95.0264267  302   
CLARION               CAV   IA  42.7419439 /  -93.7589094  354.2
COUNCIL BLUFFS        CBF   IA  41.2594722 /  -95.7599722  381.9
CRESTON               CSQ   IA  41.0214614 /  -94.3633192  394.4
DECORAH               DEH   IA  43.2755014 /  -91.7393739  352.7
DENISON               DNS   IA  41.9864325 /  -95.3807208  388.9 
FAIRFIELD             FFL   IA  41.0533242 /  -91.9789233  243.5
FORT MADISON          FSW   IA  40.6592625 /  -91.3268175  220.7
HARLAN                HNR   IA  41.5843889 /  -95.3396389  375.2
KEOKUK                EOK   IA  40.4599078 /  -91.4285011  204.5   
KNOXVILLE             OXV   IA  41.2988856 /  -93.1138156  282.9  
LeMARS                LRJ   IA  42.7780178 /  -96.1936894  364.5 
MONTICELLO            MXO   IA  42.2240453 /  -91.1658219  253.9
Mount Pleasant        MPZ   IA  40.9466139 /  -91.5110750  223.7  
MUSCATINE             MUT   IA  41.3678633 /  -91.1482164  167.0
NEWTON                TNU   IA  41.6744297 /  -93.0217292  290
OELWEIN               OLZ   IA  42.6808447 /  -91.9744783  328.0
ORANGE CITY           ORC   IA  42.9902644 /  -96.0627967  431 
Pella                 PEA   IA  41.4000667 /  -92.9458833  269.7 
RED OAK               RDK   IA  41.0105278 /  -95.2598611  318.2
SHELDON               SHL   IA  43.2083936 /  -95.8334331  432.5
SHENANDOAH            SDA   IA  40.7514817 /  -95.4134722  296.0
STORM LAKE            SLB   IA  42.5971944 /  -95.2406667  453.5  
Vinton                VTI   IA  42.2186261 /  -92.0259281  258  
WASHINGTON            AWG   IA  41.2761008 /  -91.6734439  229.8      
WEBSTER CITY          EBS   IA  42.4366389 /  -93.8688611  341.7


3.0  DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING


NCAR/EOL conducted no processing or quality control on these data.

Further information is also available at the FAA Automated Weather Sensor Home Page:
http://www2.faa.gov/asos/index.htm


4.0  DATA FORMAT AND FILE NAMING


4.1  Data Format

The data are in comma delimited format.  The parameters (in order) are:

station identifier
station name
latitude
longitude
yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm (UTC)
temperature in Deg F
dew point temperature in Deg F
Wind Speed (knots)
Wind Direction
Wind Gust (knots)
Visibility (statute miles)
Hourly Precipitation Accumulator (inches; reset to 0.0 at 56 minutes after each hour)
Altimeter (inches of mercury)
Cloud Deck 1 Height
Cloud Deck 1 Coverage
Cloud Deck 1 Code
Cloud Deck 2 Height
Cloud Deck 2 Coverage
Cloud Deck 2 Code
Cloud Deck 3 Height
Cloud Deck 3 Coverage
Cloud Deck 3 Code

Code  	Translated Code:  	Meaning
0	NOREPORT 	No report, since lower cloud layers are obstructing.
1	SCATTERED 	Scattered (10% to 50% coverage)
2	BROKEN 	Broken (60% to 90% coverage)
4	OVERCAST 	Overcast (More than 90% coverage)
8	OBSCURATION 	Full obscuration (no ceiling or cloud amount available)
17	OBSCURATION 	Partial obscuration, lowest cloud layer is scattered.
18	OBSCURATION 	Partial obscuration, lowest cloud layer is broken.
20	OBSCURATION 	Partial obscuration, lowest cloud layer is overcast.
32	INDEFINITE 	Indefinite ceiling (no cloud cover amount available?)
64	CLEAR 	No clouds below 12000 feet
128	FEW 	Few (less than 10% coverage)
255	MISSING 	Missing (sky condition not measured).
*	UNKNOWNCODE 	All other values that may appear in the database.

4.2  File Naming Conventions

station_name.txt


5.0  DATA REMARKS

The Iowa Mesonet receives 1 minute observations from the state Department Of 
Transportation (DOT) in Iowa, which owns the network of AWOS sensors that 
report their data in METAR format (via a private company) to the world via the 
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) NADIN network and then to the Iowa 
Mesonet via the National Weather Service (NWS). 


6.0  REFERNCES


None.