Table 1

Physical Element Codes most commonly used in NWS

PE DTSEP

CODE EXPLANATION (Units)

H HEIGHT

HF Height, forebay (ft,m)

HG Height, river stage (ft,m)

HO Height, flood stage (ft,m)

HP Elevation, pool (ft,m)

HZ Elevation, freezing level (kft,km)

L LAKE DATA

LS Lake storage volume (kaf,mcm)

P PRESSURE AND PRECIPITATION

PA Pressure, atmospheric (in-hg,kpa)

PC Precipitation, accumulator (in,mm)

PN Precipitation normal (in,mm)

PP Precipitation, actual increment (in,mm)

PR Precipitation rate (in/day,mm/day)

PT Precipitation type

Q DISCHARGE

QA Discharge adjusted for storage at project only (kcfs,cms)

QB Runoff depth (in,mm)

QC Runoff volume (kaf,mcm)

QD Canal diversion (kcfs,cms)

QI Discharge inflow (kcfs,cms)

QR Discharge river (kcfs,cms)

S SNOW DATA

SA Areal extent of basin snow cover (%)

SD Snow depth (in,cm)

SF New snowfall depth (in,cm)

SL Elevation of snowline (kft,m)

SW Snow water equivalent (in,mm)

T TEMPERATURE

TA Air temperature (DF,DC)

TD Dew Point temperature (DF,DC)

TN Minimum temperature (DF,DC)

TX Maximum temperature (DF,DC)

Table 2

Duration Codes

PE D TSEP

CODE EXPLANATION

I Instantaneous

U 1 minute

C 15 minutes

J 30 minutes

H 1 hour

B 2 hour

T 3 hour

F 4 hour

Q 6 hour

A 8 hour

K 12 hour

L 18 hour

D 1 day

W 1 week

M 1 month

Y 1 year

P Duration for a period beginning at 7am local and ending at time of observation

V Variable period, duration defines separately

S Period of seasonal duration

R Entire period of record

X Unknown duration

Z Filler, pointer to default duration (Refer to SHEF Handbook)

Table 3

Commonly Used Type and Source Codes

PED TS EP

F FORECAST

FZ Nonspecific forecast data

P PROCESSED DATA (NONFORECAST)

PM Processed mean areal data

PZ Nonspecific processed data

R OBSERVED DATA

RA Best quality

RB 2nd best

RC 3rd best

RD 4th best

RF Airborne

RG GOES

RM Meteor burst (SNOTEL)

RP Phone (LARC)

RR Radio #1

RS Radio #2

RV Visual #1

RW Visual #2

RX Visual #3

RZ Nonspecific observed reading

Table 4

Extremum Codes

PEDTS E P

CODE EXPLANATION

J Minimum of record

K Minimum of year

L Minimum of month

M Minimum of week

N Minimum of day

F Minimum of 1 hour

G Minimum of 3 hours

H Minimum of 6 hours

P Minimum of 12 hours

I Minimum of 18 hours

T Maximum of record

U Maximum of year

V Maximum of month

W Maximum of week

X Maximum of day

D Maximum of 1 hour

E Maximum of 3 hours

R Maximum of 6 hours

Y Maximum of 12 hours

S Maximum of 18 hours

Z Null character (filler)

Table 5

Time Interval Specifier for .E format

DI±t

CODE UNIT DEFINITION

DIS±ss Seconds

DIN±nn Minutes

DIH±hh Hours

DID±dd Days

DIM±mm Months

DIE±mm End of month monthly data only

DIY±yy Years

Table 6

Time Zone Designators

tz

CODE LOCATION

E Eastern local time

ED Eastern daylight time

ES Eastern standard time

C Central local time

CD Central daylight time

CS Central standard time

M Mountain local time

MD Mountain daylight time

MS Mountain standard time

Pacific local time

PD Pacific daylight time

PS Pacific standard time

L Alaska local time

LD Alaska daylight time

LS Alaska standard time

Z Zulu time (GMT)