NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE           Operations Manual
                                               SILVER    SPRING, MARYLAND 20910   Letter    4-85

 

Date of Issue: September 15, 1985         Effective Date: October 1, 1985

In Reply Refer To: W/OTS21x1             File With: B-12

Subject: On-Station Retention of Surface Observations Records

Reference(s): W/SOM Chapter B-12, Issuance 82-16, dated October 12, 1982, para. 4.2.1

The retention of duplicate surface observation records on station for 5 years is no longer required. The National Climatic Data Center satisfies this requirement for record retention.

Unless otherwise directed by your National Weather Service Regional Headquarters, duplicate copies of observation forms or Microcomputer Aided Paperless Surface Observations (MAPSO) diskettes must be retained on station for 90 days only. After 90 days the paper form copies may be offered to a local institution capable of archiving the data for public use or, if none can be found, destroyed. MAPSO diskettes may be recycled for future use after the 90-day period.

 

Richard E. Hallgren
Assistant Administrator
  for Weather Services