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The following files are McMurdo climatology data from years 1998 to present.
The data includes temperature (degrees C), visibility (hours), weather 
situation and duration (in hours for each event category), precipitation amount
(in), wind speed (m/s) and direction, sky cover, ceiling, pressure (inches),
total observations taken, daily pressure and temperature changes, and wind chill.

The following are key notes on precipitation measurements at McMurdo Station
and included in these spreadsheet reports:

1.  For precip measurements, we have a snow gauge positioned in an open area
away from the town buildings.

2.  Precip is measured every 6 hours on the synoptic obs in town (00Z, 06Z,
12Z & 18Z).  Precip is not measured at the runways.

3.  The snow gauge is a standard measuring tool - a standard NWS D040-SP003 
system with a Nipher Shield.  After the precip is melted from the snow gauge, 
it is poured into a regular precip tube and measured with a stick.  (The 
measuring stick is marked in inches and millimeters and has a NOAA imprint 
near the top.)

4.  We obtain our snowfall amount by converting the liquid meltwater to a
snowfall equivalent based on the temperature. We use a standard chart (Table
12.2 in the AFMAN 15-11) for this.

5.  We do not measure snow on the ground (i.e. snow depth) at McMurdo due to
the high degree of drifting caused by the winds.

Data is missing from Jan 1999.  Data is spotty from 1998 from the SPAWAR/ATS
due to transition from US Navy to SPAWAR/ATS. There are no other data files
available for 1998 from SPAWAR/ATS. 


------------------------------------Updates-------------------------------------

3/19/2003 -- S. Knuth -- File created.

6/11/2003 -- M. Lazzara - Added commentary based on information from Chief
                          observer at McMurdo Station and other ATS/SPAWAR
                          staff.

7/15/2003 -- M. Lazzara - Added comment on missing Jan 1999 data, and spotty
                          for 1998.

8/29/2003 -- M. Lazzara - Added July 2003 data problem below.

------------------------------------Problems-----------------------------------

This section describes issues with the McMurdo climatology data.

* The MarClimo00.xls file says within the file that the March data is for
both 2000 and 1999.  The real data is simply for March 2000.  There was a
typo within the excel file.

* The SepClimo01.xls file says within the file that the data is for August 
2001.  The real data is for September 2001.  There was a typo within the 
excel file.

* The following files have listed "2001" data within the excel file, but
this is a typo.  The actual data is listed in the file name.  For example,
AugClimo02.xls says within the file that the data is for "2001" when it 
is really for August 2002.  These files are:  February 2002, March 2002,
June 2002, August 2002, October 2002, November 2002, December 2002, January
2003, and February 2003.

* A few blocks of missing wind data on the 31st of July 2003.  That's 
because our PASOS wind indicator broke yesterday morning in a storm.  The 
last gust it recorded was 67 knots and then...nada.  The science bldg next 
door (unofficial instruments) recorded 76 knots a few minutes later.