A Web-Based Entry System for National Weather Service Cooperative Observers Administrator’s Guide Version 3.2 August 2015 1 Administrator’s Guide, Ver. 3.2 Table of Contents Table of Contents and Summary of Changes ..................................................................................2 Preface ..............................................................................................................................................3 WxCoder Overview .........................................................................................................................4 The Superform ................................................................................................................................6 WxCoder Field Office Admin Features ...........................................................................................8 Observational Best Practices for WxCoder ...................................................................................16 Key Forms ......................................................................................................................................19 Acronym List .................................................................................................................................20 Appendix A: WxC3 Internal Consistency Quality Assurance & Control Checks ........................21 Appendix B: List of Elements for WxC3 (SHEF Symbol) ...........................................................23 Appendix C: Summary of WC3 On-line Help ..............................................................................25 Appendix D: Smart Phone examples of Daily Form Input ...........................................................29 Appendix E: Shortcut keys for PP, SF, and SD at closeout ..........................................................32 Attachment 1: Copy of WC3 User’s Guide ..................................................................................33 Table of Contents and Summary of Changes ................................................................................34 Users Guide, Appendix A, Common Superform Errors ...........................................................52 Users Guide, Appendix B, Smart Phone examples of Daily Input Format ..............................56 Summary of Changes Administrator’s Guide: 1. Written changes are highlighted. 2. Figure 2a adjusted for software version and tab option (page 7). 3. New Figure 4a: E-mail capability to one/all WFO observers (page 10). 4. New Appendix E. NOTE: Administrator’s guide page numbering runs through User’s Guide. The separate User’s Guide retains normal page numbering. Attachment 1, User’s Guide: 1. Written changes are highlighted. 2. Figures 10, 11, and 12 adjusted for software version and tab option. 3. Appendix A, Figures A through F adjusted for software version, tab options, and error highlighting. The “Autofill” prompts are intentionally blanked to avoid User confusion. 2 Administrator’s Guide, Ver. 3.2 Preface The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) remains a critical weather and climate observing network for the United States. Every day, thousands of dedicated volunteers take observations on farms, in urban and suburban areas, National Parks, seashores, and mountaintops. The resultant data are truly representative of where people live, work, and play. Since 1890, the Cooperative Observer Program has supported the following goals: • To provide observational meteorological data, usually consisting of daily maximum and minimum temperature, 24-hour precipitation totals, and snowfall necessary to define the climate of the United States and to help measure long-term climate variability and change. • To provide observational meteorological data in near real-time to support forecast, warning, and other public service programs of NOAA. Volunteer weather observers conscientiously contribute their time in support of vital missions relative to both weather and climate. The data they collect are invaluable in learning more about floods, droughts, heat and cold waves affecting us all. The data is useful in agricultural planning and assessment, engineering, environmental-impact assessment, utilities planning, and litigation. COOP data plays a critical role in efforts to recognize and evaluate the extent of human impacts on climate from local to global scales. Resulting from many decades of relatively stable operation, high station density, and high proportion of rural locations, the Cooperative Network has become an authoritative source of information on U.S. climate trends for temperature and precipitation. Cooperative stations form the core of the U.S. Historical Climate Network (HCN), other important reference networks, and add sub-regional granularity to measurements taken by the U.S. Climate Reference Network (CRN). COOP observers traditionally record daily temperature and precipitation on paper and then send the forms monthly to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) via their local NWS office. Observers often provide additional hydrological, meteorological, or phenology data. Observer data input are transitioning to use of telephone or computer vs. paper. WxCoder, Version 3, or WC3, and telephone-based IV-ROCS, are NOAA’s official methods for entering all observations. WC3, allows climate observers in NOAA’s National Weather Service COOP observing program to enter daily observations for direct transmission into NOAA systems in near real-time. WC3 is a user-friendly interface, accessible through an internet-ready computer using various web browsers: Google Chrome (preferred), Microsoft Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc. These web browsers display information with entry boxes and pull-down menus allowing for a quick and efficient method to enter observations. 3 Administrator’s Guide, Ver. 3.2 National in scope, WC3 is available to all COOP observers with routine internet access. With WC3, the volunteer observer enters weather observations, views and edits old observations, and communicates with their local NWS Weather Forecast Office (WFO). While COOP observers can access WC3 at any time, encourage them to enter their observations shortly after taking their readings. This ensures observations achieve the greatest utility by virtue of timeliness. WxCoder Overview WC3 includes enhancements allowing observers to provide data quickly and accurately. These enhancements are for our observers, the NWS, Regional Climate Centers (RCCs), and NCEI personnel who work to collect, quality control, and distribute COOP data. Improvements to WC3 include a user-friendly web interface with help (Appendix C) menus. Monthly forms automatically sum and average temperature, precipitation and snowfall observations. WC3 provides immediate data quality-assurance through several routine functions while providing more space for observer remarks. An advanced WFO administrative interface exists for NWS supervising offices to customize observer inputs and ensure easy and timely two-way communication with observers. WC3 also provides data quality-control features, significantly reducing data errors from manual entry of daily data, keying errors, and incorrect administrative information. Examples of quality control checks are located in Appendix A. Figure 1 is a flow diagram of key interface capabilities for the COOP observer’s use. Guidance for user entry is found in the WxCoder User’s Guide (Attachment 1). 4 Administrator’s Guide, Ver. 3.2 Figure 1: Flow Diagram of WxC3 Interface Figure 1 shows a pathway for ‘quick entry’ of observations by users (bold arrows). A typical daily use of WC3 follows the bold line-path with an example in Figure 2. 5 Administrator’s Guide, Ver. 3.2 Figure 2: ‘Quick Entry’ Sequence for Typical Daily Entry by COOP Observer The Superform: The superform allows either the observer or supporting WFO, to view an entire month of information from a single screen. You can enter individual days, blocks of days, or an entire month. The current day always opens and ready for data. In the example below, the superform can display more data than the normal B-91. What the form looks like depends on the WFO and Observer agreed-upon reporting parameters. Figure 2a is an example of an agricultural station. These types of stations can include soil temperature. All quality control/assurance features remain active with the superform as it has for the daily and monthly entry formats. Access the superform via “WxCoder >> Home >> Field Office Admin >> Superform. The form opens but needs a short period to load the COOP station list. Once loaded, the drop-down menu lists your stations alphabetically. You can use either the drop-down or the “Next Station” buttons, which allow you to see the stations status at a glance. 6 Administrator’s Guide, Ver. 3.2 NOTE: When entering data for a coop station, remain as WFO, use the drop-down menu to select the station, enter and save their input. It is not necessary for you to log in as the coop site via the “My Observations” menu item. Features: 1. Mouse-over a column header to display the individual weather parameter with SHEF code. 2. New data entries, a red triangle displays in upper left corner of a box for unsaved changes. 3. Single-click “Remarks” and a separate window will open. Click “Save” to store remarks. 4. When loading data from mail-in-stations, enter by-day, making liberal use of the “Tab” key. For 10-key users, the “Enter”