April 16, 2002

MEMORANDUM TO:  Record
FROM:           Dennis A. Keyser -- W/NMC22
Subject:        Changes to IBM-SP Data Preprocessor (PREPDATA)
                (February 17, 2000 Version -- 
                 RUC)

Implemented 12Z 16 April 2002:

RUC only:  The program RUC_GETBUFR was modified to now process the
following data which had already existed in the RUC version of the
PREPBUFR files:

     1)  GOES cloud-top pressure, temperature and cloud cover data
         in report type 151 (before all reports of this type were
         skipped).

     2)  Buoys with missing sea-level pressure but valid wind data
         in report type 282 (before all reports of this type were
         skipped).

     3)  Splash-level dropwinsonde mass data in report type 182
         (before all reports of this type were skipped).

     4)  The wind speed/quality marker for surface METAR reports in
         report type 281 and 287 with with missing wind direction
         and wind speed less than or equal to 3 meters/sec (encoded
         in mnemonics "SOB"/"SQM").  These reports are considered
         to have light winds and a variable wind direction.
         (Before "SOB"/"SQM" was not read and these reports were
         skipped.)