GENERAL FIX FORMAT FOR ALL FIX TYPES (Columns 1-24)
FCYYYYYMMDDHHMNLAT0LONG0
FORMAT (A1,A2,A10,A2,I3,A1,I4,A1)
where
F = Fix Type:
1, A, or I -- Satellite
2, B, or J -- Aircraft
3, C, or K -- Radar
4, D, or L -- Synoptic
The letters A, B, C, and D are used to flag the fix so JTWC Best Track program will ignore it (i.e., the fix is unrepresentative of the best track). The letters I, J, K, and L tell the program to over-ride the abort procedure during fix continuity error check.
CY = Annual cyclone number.
YYMMDDHH = Date-Time group: 00010100 through 99123123.
MN = Minute: 00 through 60.
LAT0,LONG0 = Latitude, longitude fix position.
Latitude: 0 through 900.
Longitude: 0 through 1800.
"0" is the hemispheric index (N/S, E/W).
SATELLITE FIX CODE (Columns 25-81)
Column
25 or 26 PCN # or CONF # (only one entered).
PCN code 1 = Eye/Geography
2 = Eye/Ephemeris
3 = Well Defined Circ. Center/Geography
4 = Well Defined Circ. Center/Ephemeris
5 = Poorly Defined Circ. Center/Geography
6 = Poorly Defined Circ. Center/Ephemeris
Column
27-36 Dvorak Code (no decimals or slashes)
Example: T4.0/4.0+/D1.0/24HRS
Entry: 4040+D1024
37-38 CI 24 hr Forecast
39-44 Satellite Type (left justified with no blanks or dashes)
45 Sensor Type V - visual
I - infrared
B - both
S - SSMI
46-77 Comments
78-81 Fix Site
ENTRY SITE
PGTW DET 1 1WW, GUAM
RKSO OSAN AB, KOREA
RPMK CLARK AB, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
RODN KADENA AB, OKINAWA JAPAN
PHIK HICKAM AFB, HAWAII (DMSP & NOAA)
PHNL NWS HONOLULU, HAWAII (GOES)
KGWC OFFUTT AFB, NEBRASKA
FJDG DIEGO GARCIA, INDIAN OCEAN
KNSS FLEET WEATHER FACILITY, SUITLAND, MD
NNUL USS CONSTELLATION
NZFF USS KITTYHAWK
NRPG USS LASALLE
NPOC NAVAL POLAR OCEANOGRAPHY CENTER
Pre 1978 Corrections:
1973-1977
Column
45-46 blank
47-51 "MSLP="
52-56 Mean sea level pressure
57-65 "ESTMAXWND" or "(STG UNK)"
66-69 Maximum wind speed
70-73 " KTS"
74-81 blank
1972
46-56 Dvorak code
57-81 Same as 1973-1977
1966-1971
45-81 blank
AIRCRAFT FIX CODE (Column 25-81)
Column
25-33 Flight Level (CHARLIE)
25-26 100's of feet or
27-29 Millibars
30-33 Minimum height in meters
34-36 Maximum Surface Wind Intensity in knots (DELTA)
37-41 Maximum Surface Wind (ECHO)
37-38 Bearing (degrees/10)
39-41 Range (n. mi.)
42-46 Maximum Flight Level Wind (FOXTROT)
42-43 Direction (degrees/10)
44-46 Intensity (knots)
47-51 Maximum Flight Level Wind (GOLF)
47-48 Bearing (degrees/10)
49-51 Range (n. mi.)
52-54 Minimum Sea Level Pressure in millibars (HOTEL)
55-57 Temperature Outside Eye in Celsius (INDIA)
58-60 Temperature Inside Eye in Celsius (JULIET)
61-65 Temperature (rounded to whole degree) (KILO)
61-63 Dew Point Temperature (Celsius)
64-65 Sea Surface Temperature (Celsius)
66-67 Wall Cloud Thickness in N. Mi. (LIMA)
68-75 Eye Characteristics (MIKE)
68-69 Shape: CI, circular; EL, elliptic; CO, concentric
70-71 Orientation (degrees/10)
72-73 Diameter (n. mi.) (long axis if elliptical)
74-75 Short Axis (n. mi.) (blank if not elliptical)
76-79 Accuracy (PAPA)
76-77 Navigational (n. mi.)
78-79 Meteorological (n. mi.)
80-81 Mission Number
Pre 1978 corrections
1966-1971
Column
55-57 Blank
58-60 Temperature Inside Eye (C)
61-63 Temperature Outside Eye (C)
79-81 Missing
Notes: For aircraft fixes 1966-1970, a dash (-) denotes missing data.
RADAR FIX CODE (Columns 23-79)
A. RADOB - AcScWcacrc tedsdsfsfs
Also enter slashes if reported and in place of blanks
Column
25 Fix Type: L - Land; S - Ship; A - Aircraft
26-35 RADOB CODE
36-67 Comments
68-76 Radar Site Position (same format as columns 16-24)
77-81 WMO Identifier
B. Plain Language
Column
25 Fix Type: L - Land; S - Ship; A - Aircraft
26 Accuracy: G - Good; F - Fair; P - Poor
27-28 Eye Shape: CI - Circular; EL - Elliptic; CO - concentric
29-31 Eye Diameter (n. mi.)
32-33 Percent Of Eye Wall Observed (99 = 100%)
34-35 Spiral Overlay (degrees)
36-67 Comments
68-76 Radar Site Position (same format as columns 16-24)
77-81 WMO Identifier
Pre 1978 corrections
1972-1977
Column
25-67 Blank
68-76 Radar Site Position (same format as columns 16-24)
77-81 Blank
1966-1971
24-81 Blank
SYNOPTIC FIX CODE
Column
25-27 Intensity Estimate (knots)
28-30 Distance to Nearest Data (n. mi.)
31-81 Comments
Pre 1978 Corrections
1966-1977
Column
25-81 Blank
Notes: For aircraft fixes 1966-1970, a dash (-) denotes missing data.
Storm numbers greater than 50 have no corresponding best track and thus have meaningless storm id cards.