National Upper-air Station Performance Scores

Objective

To evaluate NWS upper-air station performance nationwide to help improve data availability, quantity, and quality. Scores are also used to help determine the winner of the National Isaac Cline Award for Upper-air Observations.

Method

The following equation is used to rank station performance, which includes appropriate weighting factors:

Score = A/2 + B + C + D/2 - E/5 - F/5   where,

A = Percentage of monthly soundings arriving at NCEP within 3 hours after balloon release (by 14:00 or 02:00 UTC). This is based on NCEP and FMH#3 requirements. To score in this category, all coded messages (with or without data) must be received. This percentage is divided by 2.

B = Percentage of monthly soundings achieving the minimum 400 hPa pressure level requirement or higher.

C = Percentage of monthly soundings achieving 50 hPa or higher.

D = Percentage of monthly soundings achieving 20 hPa or higher. This percentage is divided by 2.

E = Percentage of monthly temperature levels between surface & 400 hPa rejected by NCEP.  This percentage is divided by 5.

F = Percentage of monthly wind levels between 400 and 100 hPa rejected by NCEP. This percentage is divided by 5.

NOTE: Starting with the August, 1999, data, element "A" above now includes soundings with AND without data.  Prior to this change, points were only given in this element if the coded messages contained data. Messages without data (i.e., no sounding taken) were not included in this element. This change will result in slightly higher average scores.

Elements B through F are compiled 6 hours or more after balloon release and before NCEP data deletions are applied to the soundings.  The maximum score a station can achieve with this equation is 300.  Histograms are available that show station performance for some of the above elements

Data Sources

Data used for generating the scores come from data quality reports provided by NCEP each month. 

Evaluation

It is important to note that a station's score does not solely reflect station staff performance. Factors such as equipment and communication failures, maintenance personnel performance, and support from NWS Regional office and Headquarters management, must also be taken into consideration when evaluating station scores.   Furthermore, many times a low score is the result of a system failure (e.g., lightning strike) beyond the control of station staff.  Thus, station scores reflect the performance of the entire upper-air program.  Upper-air station managers should use the scores as only one of several tools for assessing how well their station is performing.

A station's average score for the year plays a role in determining the winner of the National Isaac Cline Award for Upper-air Observations given each year, but it's only given a 40% weighting factor.  Scores are not used as the only indicator for determining this award.

***IMPORTANT***

Stations must not under inflate balloons in an attempt to reach higher sounding termination heights and a higher monthly score.  Likewise, over inflation of the balloon must be avoided as this wastes gas and can lower balloon burst heights

Stations must inflate balloons so that the average (surface to flight termination) ascension rate falls between  275 and 350 meters/minute for each sounding (References: FMH#3 and WSOH#10).  Balloon ascension rates from each sounding are evaluated when determining the winner of the Isaac Cline Award.  Observations are checked to see if the balloon ascended between 275 and 350 meters/minute.  Routine under inflation and over inflation of the balloon is unacceptable.   

NEW: Stations should review balloon ascension rate graphics based on the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) archive and adjust the balloon gas amounts accordingly.  NWS stations should have no more than 5 % of their monthly flights with ascent rates below 275 meters/minute or above 350 meters/minute. 

 

NWS upper-air station scores for the past 3 months and the 12 month running average

300  =  Perfect Score.   Click here for trends in the National average and median score.

 

ID

Apr Rank

ID

May Rank

ID

Jun Rank

ID

12 month Average

SLE

299.15

SNP

299.98

INL

299.77

AFG

297.90

OTX

299.10

AFC

299.92

ADQ

299.14

ADQ

296.83

AFG

299.08

JAX

299.71

BRW

299.12

CRP

296.71

MAF

299.06

CRP

299.52

BOI

299.12

LKN

295.99

LIH

298.68

CHH

299.23

LIX

299.09

REV

295.77

DRT

298.46

MFL

299.10

OHX

298.97

LIH

295.69

CRP

298.28

GSO

299.04

GSO

298.96

MCG

295.65

BIS

298.05

TBW

298.96

LZK

298.96

SNP

295.36

OUN

297.73

REV

298.92

TBW

298.94

OTX

295.09

LKN

297.62

ABR

298.82

YAK

298.71

AFC

295.06

BOI

297.37

SGF

298.67

SGF

298.66

BOI

294.73

EYW

297.15

FWD

298.59

GJT

298.62

JAX

294.64

FWD

297.05

SLE

298.30

MCG

298.25

TBW

294.58

OHX

297.01

LIH

298.21

CAR

298.17

DDC

294.56

AKN

296.90

AKN

298.15

UNR

297.37

INL

294.47

AMA

296.81

LIX

297.75

TFX

297.35

GJT

294.31

NKX

296.70

ANN

297.54

EPZ

297.23

BET

294.28

BRW

296.56

MCG

297.52

LKN

296.83

ABR

294.22

YAK

296.56

GYX

297.46

NKX

296.82

MHX

294.14

ILN

296.52

EYW

297.43

AFG

296.56

BRW

294.04

SJU

296.52

OTX

297.43

MHX

296.54

MFL

294.02

OME

296.51

FFC

297.37

BRO

296.50

ITO

293.72

MFL

296.39

ALY

297.31

RIW

296.38

CAR

293.64

GJT

296.34

OME

296.71

LIH

296.23

MAF

293.48

MHX

296.32

SLC

296.60

ABR

296.14

SLE

293.47

DDC

296.03

CAR

296.57

DDC

296.03

OHX

293.41

DVN

295.63

WAL

296.54

EYW

295.77

EYW

293.38

RIW

295.57

MAF

296.17

APX

295.65

WAL

293.31

BRO

295.26

ILN

295.77

RNK

295.47

AMA

293.08

AFC

294.98

YAK

295.72

MFL

294.93

LCH

293.05

REV

294.61

NKX

295.69

SLE

294.92

NKX

293.03

FGZ

294.56

OAX

295.66

JAN

294.80

BRO

292.98

LCH

294.43

DVN

295.56

NST

294.67

BIS

292.92

OTZ

294.06

ITO

295.53

DVN

294.62

RNK

292.38

UIL

294.03

LCH

295.41

REV

294.58

GSO

292.31

MCG

293.93

BET

295.10

ITO

294.38

FGZ

292.29

JAX

293.88

BOI

295.02

CRP

294.12

MFR

292.02

BET

293.27

MHX

294.95

LCH

294.00

MPX

291.98

SGF

293.17

MFR

294.71

SHV

293.94

YAK

291.60

SHV

293.01

BRO

294.70

SNP

293.89

DNR

291.44

INL

292.95

DNR

294.68

ABQ

293.73

TFX

291.27

MFR

292.80

OKX

294.64

OME

293.32

OME

291.24

TBW

292.74

APX

294.27

ILX

292.92

SHV

290.55

EPZ

292.63

AFG

294.21

BMX

292.41

ILN

289.98

GUA

292.42

BIS

294.08

SJU

292.30

DRT

289.90

TFX

292.08

SJU

294.06

TYA

292.15

TLH

289.46

WAL

292.00

LWX

294.04

MPX

292.06

ALY

289.43

LIX

291.89

LKN

293.73

OTX

291.51

SGF

289.28

DNR

290.97

OHX

293.32

TLH

291.22

GYX

289.11

DTX

290.73

BRW

292.74

JAX

291.19

OUN

289.10

TLH

289.79

DTX

292.42

AMA

291.09

EPZ

289.06

GGW

289.73

MPX

292.41

TOP

290.65

AKN

288.67

CDB

289.08

GJT

292.31

LWX

290.50

GRB

288.66

TWC

288.65

TOP

292.17

SLC

289.70

SLC

288.57

OKX

288.46

BMX

291.81

BIS

289.60

SJU

288.22

CAR

288.35

JAN

291.65

ILN

289.48

TUS

288.15

TYA

288.29

AMA

291.36

OUN

288.94

RIW

287.93

ADQ

288.23

ADQ

291.07

MFR

288.76

BUF

287.91

MPX

288.23

BUF

290.96

ALY

288.61

TOP

287.70

OAX

288.12

LZK

290.85

FGZ

288.28

FFC

287.64

ABR

288.09

RNK

290.79

BUF

288.20

OAK

287.35

TRO

288.08

DRT

290.65

PBZ

288.07

LWX

287.31

JAN

287.93

INL

290.41

CDB

287.50

GGW

286.39

GSO

287.66

TLH

290.20

AFC

287.44

ABQ

286.35

ITO

287.65

FGZ

289.91

MAF

287.25

ANN

286.25

MKJ

287.55

GUA

289.45

BET

285.81

OKX

286.13

BUF

287.10

GGW

289.42

GYX

284.75

DTX

285.86

SNP

286.94

CDB

289.41

DTX

284.50

FWD

285.39

ANN

286.54

OUN

288.94

TKK

284.16

LZK

285.31

SLC

285.61

UNR

288.38

TPN

284.10

CHH

285.05

BMX

285.31

PBZ

287.95

WAL

283.88

BMX

284.95

OAK

283.57

SHV

287.63

AKN

283.16

JAN

284.87

CHS

283.27

DDC

286.99

DNR

282.14

OTZ

284.81

GRB

283.20

RIW

286.90

LBF

281.61

DVN

284.34

APX

283.11

UIL

282.05

GRB

281.45

UNR

282.88

GYX

283.02

GRB

282.00

FFC

281.37

OAX

282.81

RNK

281.88

ILX

281.94

MKJ

281.34

APX

282.72

ALY

281.30

TKK

280.65

TWC

281.19

LIX

282.35

TKK

281.24

MKJ

279.69

TRO

280.77

GUA

280.18

TOP

281.02

OAK

279.03

OAK

280.68

LBF

279.90

UNR

279.72

LBF

278.74

UIL

279.82

ILX

279.40

TPN

279.11

TFX

276.27

GUA

279.05

PBZ

277.58

CHH

276.31

TWC

275.23

GGW

279.05

TKK

277.05

FFC

275.01

TRO

274.79

OAX

276.98

NST

275.77

LBF

273.73

OTZ

273.04

FWD

274.90

TRO

275.12

PBZ

266.82

CHS

268.25

OTZ

270.00

TPN

274.81

ILX

260.67

TYA

266.82

OKX

261.55

MKJ

272.09

LWX

255.28

NST

264.29

CHH

257.46

TYA

270.46

ABQ

242.25

ABQ

258.48

ANN

238.94

CDB

269.58

NST

241.28

EPZ

217.94

CHS

227.23

UIL

268.71

LZK

237.64

TPN

191.41

DRT

226.62

CHS

267.23

DRA

196.03

DRA

178.67

DRA

183.42

DRA

177.20

Nat'l Avg

287.44

Nat'l Avg

288.09

Nat'l Avg

287.21

NOTE:  

The office at Cold Bay, AK,  (CDB) was damaged during a storm and no observations were taken in January.  This caused their score for that month to be very low and will impact the 12 month average.

Because of budget cuts, the upper-air station at Desert Rock, NV, ("DRA") does not operate on weekends and scores will be low.

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