NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE           Operations Manual
                                               SILVER    SPRING, MARYLAND 20910   Letter    1-80

 

Date of Issue:   February 5,1980                 Effective Date:     March1, 1980

In Reply Reply To: W521x1                       File with: B-98

Subject:   Reporting Sunshine Data

Beginning March 1, 1980, NWS offices in the conterminous U.S. that record sunshine data shall, where possible, transmit or have transmitted on the 0800 GMT Aviation weather observation the minutes of sunshine that occurred the previous calendar day. NWS offices that record sunshine, but do not make weather observations will provide the data to the local NWS or FAA weather reporting station before 0745 GMT for transmission at 0800 GMT. If, in the vicinity of the sunshine office, there is no aviation weather station that transmits a weather observation at 0800 GMT, sunshine data cannot be reported.

Regional headquarters will prepare a list showing where the sunshine data is observed and the station transmitting it. Regional lists will be sent to Chief, Basic Observations Branch, W521, who will prepare a national list to be distributed to users.

Transmit the data in remarks using the code group 98xxx where 98 is the data identifier and xxx is the duration of sunshine in minutes. As required for all additional data groups 98xxx is preceded by a slant and a space.

A copy of this OML should be filed with FMH No. 1 until the Handbook is revised to include these instructions.

Richard E. Hallgren
Director, National Weather Service