NCEP ADP Operational Global Surface Observations, February 1975 - February 2007

These NCEP ADP operational global synoptic surface data reports were collected from the GTS during time slots centered on the 6-hourly analysis times of their global and regional models. Two types of data were collected and the reports usually include pressure, temperature, dew point depression, wind direction and speed. NCEP also decoded the precipitation data, but only for the U.S. and Canada. The two types are: 1) data from land stations, including SYNOP, METAR, and beginning in the mid 1990s, AWOS and ASOS reports, and 2) data from moving ship, fixed ship, MARS (moving and fixed), and buoys (moored and drifting).