User:Ssbohio/Surface weather observation

Data Reported
Surface weather observations can include the following elements:
 * Station Identifier
 * Visibility, either in statute miles or meters
 * Runway visibility, either in meters or feet
 * Temperature
 * Dew Point
 * Wind speed and direction
 * Sea level pressure
 * Altimeter setting
 * Present weather, such as restrictions to visibility and presence of thunder or squalls
 * Intensity of precipitation
 * Precipitation amount over the past 6 or 24 hours
 * Snowfall amount during the past 6 hours
 * Snow depth

Example of a METAR surface weather observation
 METAR LBBG 041600Z 12003MPS 310V290 1400 R04/P1500N R22/P1500U +SN BKN022 OVC050 M04/M07 Q1020 NOSIG 9949//91=     KPGD 122353Z AUTO 27009KT 10SM CLR 18/13 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP163 T01830128 10256 20183 53008 

Station    Date/Time  Automatic Identifier (UTC)      Observation KPGD 122353Z  AUTO 27009KT 10SM CLR 18/13 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP163 T01830128 10256 20183 53008

RMK                               Remarks AO2                               Barometric pressure has risen 0.02 (in. Hg) since the last hour's observation SLP163 T01830128 10256                             20183                              53008

KPGD Station Identifier: KPGD is the ICAO code for the Charlotte County Airport 122353Z                           Date: 12th day of the month; Time 2353 or 11:53PM (UTC) AUTO                              [ASOS|Automatic]] or manual observation 27009KT                           Wind direction, given as true heading: 270° (West);  Speed: 9 Knots (KT) 10SM                              Visibility in statute miles (SM); 10SM is the maximum for ASOS CLR                               Weather is clear (CLR) 18/13                             Temperature: 18°;  Dew point 13°Celsius A3001                             Barometric pressure is 30.01 inches of mercury (in. Hg) RMK                               Remarks AO2                               Barometric pressure has risen 0.02 (in. Hg) since the last hour's observation SLP163 T01830128 10256                             20183                              53008

Personal weather stations, maintained by citizens rather than government officials, do not use METAR code. Software allows information to be transmitted to various sites, such as Weather Underground globally, or CWOP within the United States, which can then be used by the appropriate meteorological organizations either to diagnose real-time conditions, or be used within weather forecast models.