Contact:


Project Plan:

Start Date: April 1996

Status: Completed. Maintenance continues.

End Date: February 1997

Abstract:

The metar_decoder is a software program that has the capabilities to decode METAR, SM, SDO and SCD reports and to change the METAR input into output as a SHEF format. The dcoder will translate all major variables including many contained in the Remarks section. An earlier version prior to January 2000 also decoded SAO reports ( METAR fully replaced the SAO format).

The decoder is written in ASCII C and has been tested in the HP, LINUX and QNX environment. It is designed to run in either batch or continuous mode. It is configuable through a text configuration file and controlled by command line switches. Much of the internal code is based on a version of a METAR decoder written by Carl McCalla when he worked for TDL at the NWSH.

The current version of the metar_decoder, called 'metar2shef', is part of the national AWIPS software build and is used to decode and input metar/SDO/SCD observations into the WHFS datatbase. It is also used by all River Forecast Centers.